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Cathalina carefully turned the boat and started 
shoreward. Lilian, who had her guitar, strummed 
a few chords. 

(Page 241) (Cathalina at Grey cliff) 







CATHALINA 
AT GREYCLIFF 


By HARRIET PYNE GROVE 


Author of 

“The Girls of Grey cliff ,” “The Grey cliff Girls in Campy 
“Grey cliff Heroines,” <c Grey cliff Wings.” 



A. L. BURT COMPANY 
Publishers New York 




































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QlccC 


THE 

GREYCLIFF GIRLS SERIES 

A Series of Stories for Girls 

By HARRIET PYNE GROVE 

CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 
THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 
THE GREYCLIFF GIRLS IN CAMP 
GREYCLIFF HEROINES 
GREYCLIFF WINGS 

Copyright, 1923 

By A. L. BURT COMPANY 
CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


Made in “U. S. A.” 


JUL -9 ’23 




©Cl A 711122 











FOREWORD 


In these chapters the author has used her own 
family names, to which she fancies she has a right. 
There are, however, some changes; it was, for in¬ 
stance, a Katherine Knickerbocker who married a 
Van Buskirk. The “Aunt Katherine” of the story 
is really the author’s grandmother, Harriet Catha- 
lina Van Buskirk, a granddaughter of the original 
Martin Van Buskirk. She taught in the Emma Wil¬ 
lard school at Troy, New York, and married William 
Lee, nephew of Madam Willard and son of her old** 
est sister, Mary Hart. 

To present a happy, normal school life and real 
girls in the midst of life’s most delightful oppor¬ 
tunities is the object of this series. 


\ 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER I. 

CATH ALIN A VAN BUSKIRK. 

The maid was doing Cathalina Van Buskirk’s 
sunny brown hair. 

‘‘Do it up high, Etta; it is so hot today! I hope 
Mother will decide to go to the mountains soon!” 

“Just as soon as your brother comes home, Miss 
Cathalina. I heard her say so yesterday.” 

“Last year he met us there!” Cathalina replied, 
somewhat fretfully. 

“Yes, but he is not going back next Fall, you 
know, and there’s all his things to come here. And 
then your mother said that she isn’t sure where she 
will go until she sees him and finds out what he 
needs and where he wants to go.” 

“O, Phil’s always well,—I wish I were!” Catha¬ 
lina looked mournfully and pityingly in the mirror, 
where she saw a pretty, delicate face with shadowy, 

5 



6 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


dark blue eyes. A tear threatened to splash over as 
Cathalina thought what a dull, disagreeable world 
it was. A miserable piano lesson at ten o’clock, 
and she supposed she’d have to practice a while 
before; a party the next day, or was it this after¬ 
noon?—and the girls would be offended if she did 
not go. Always the same old thing anyhow! 

Etta quietly took the blue silk kimono that Catha¬ 
lina had slipped off and brought in exchange a 
dainty morning dress of fine, sheer lawn. 

Cathalina’s bedroom wak a beautiful setting for 
the fair little maid of fourteen years. When the 
new home was being finished a year before, Catha¬ 
lina herself, with some direction from her mother, 
had chosen the blue, white and silver decorations 
and selected the furnishings. What pride she had 
taken at first in the delicate effects, the simple, though 
expensive, fittings. But she was tired of it all now. 

As Etta fastened the dress, Cathalina said, with 
the shy little smile that she always had when she 
spoke intimately, “I was so cross, Etta, this morn¬ 
ing when you brought up my breakfast,—please for¬ 
give me!” 

“O, Miss Cathie,—if you call that cross! What 
would you think if you heard what I’ve had to put 
up with?” 

“Better not tell me, Etta,” replied Cathalina, who 
had been taught not to encourage tales of former 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


7 


service. ‘‘I might get hints on how to manage you,” 
she added, with a laugh. “How loose this dress is 
getting! Just pin over the girdle a little—or get 
me that other sash that matches, please.” Then both 
girls turned to listen to sounds of commotion down 
stairs. 

“What is that? Hurry, Etta,—I do believe it’s 
Phil! Yes, I hear his voice!” 

Gone was Cathalina’s languor. She ran to the 
door, stood a moment by the bannister, looking over, 
then flew down the broad stairs as fast as a pair of 
twinkling feet could carry her. 

“O, Phil!” 

“Hullo, Kathleen Mavourneen!” And a tall, slim 
youngster who stood in the hall turned and caught 
the flying figure on the last stair. He gave her a 
whirl and then held her off after a brotherly hug. 
“Why, what’s the matter with you, kitten?” for 
Cathalina was sobbing a little. 

“I don’t know—just so glad to see you—I cry at 
everything lately.” 

“Well, come now!” Philip boyishly patted her 
shoulder. “Come on, let’s find Mothery. O, 
Mother!” 

“Is that my boy ?” Another graceful figure came 
down stairs, not quite so fast, but with face eager 
and smiling. Philip embraced his mother and tipped 
up her chin that he might get a good look, with 


s 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


‘‘How’s Madam Sylvia Van Ness Van Buskirk?” 

“Beautiful as a dream,” answered Cathalina, who 
had recovered from her tears and was almost feel¬ 
ing frisky, inspired by Philip’s arrival. 

“She actually blushes!” laughed Philip. “Now 
if it were Dad! Still the same pair of lovers, 
Mothery ?” 

“Nonsense, Philip. How good it is to have you 
again! How did you happen to come so unex¬ 
pectedly ?” 

“I was all through, lessons and quizzes, and took 
a notion to come. Packed in an awful hurry and 
forgot to telegraph. The bunch was along. But let 
me clean up, Mother, before I answer questions,— 
I’m so dingy and hot! You see I’m here, husky as 
ever, and wasn’t fired! Home looks pretty good 
to me!” 

“Very well, saucy boy!” Sylvia Van Buskirk 
shook her head, in smiling reproof of her son, who 
turned to give direction to the butler standing near, 
unhearing, unseeing, a suit-case in each hand. 
“There’ll be a big bag, a couple of trunks and some 
boxes of books later, Watts. Don’t know where 
I did get all the junk. Have Louis bring up the 
suit-cases right away. And how are you yourself ?” 

“Watts’ ” dignity gave way to a warm smile, for 
all the servants liked Philip Junior, or “Mr. Philip”, 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


9 


as they called him. Three or four at a time, Philip 
took the low steps, whistling as he went. 

“Handsome and full of fun as ever!” 

“Now we’ll have a little life in the house 1” 

So exclaimed Cathalina and her mother together. 

“How are you this morning, Cathalina ?” 

“O, I was simply cross when I waked up with a 
headache again, but it was gone after breakfast.” 

Mrs. Van Buskirk’s brow contracted anxiously 
as she looked at Cathalina. Then, arm in arm, they 
crossed the haJl and entered the library, where 
shades and shutters kept out the glare of the morn¬ 
ing sun, an electric fan supplied a breeze and the 
mail lay upon the table. 

The Van Buskirk library was what Philip Junior 
called it, “a thing of beauty” and “a joy forever”. 
Philip Van Buskirk Senior was a merchant and im¬ 
porter who dealt in all things beautiful of a mate¬ 
rial sort. Books were his recreation; and as the 
producing world brought him silks, ivories, jewels 
and quaint treasures of all kinds, so this world of 
books brought riches of thought and a quiet com¬ 
panionship away from business cares. The low 
shelves in the alcoves were filled with reference books 
galore, with the standard literature and, best of all, 
the precious copies of the authors dear to the fine 
man who selected, read and put them upon his 


10 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


shelves, according to his own fancy of arrange¬ 
ment. 

Here, in the broad, well-cushioned window seat, 
Cathalina loved to curl up with a box of candy 
and a book or favorite magazine. No wonder that 
meals did not taste well and that there was a head¬ 
ache in the morning! 

This morning’s headache, however, could not be 
charged to candy, for of late that had been forbid¬ 
den. Some months before this June morning, Cath¬ 
alina had been seriously ill. Under careful watching 
and with a return to the program of more childish 
days, she had been coming slowly back to health and 
had even taken up a few studies again. But she 
had no real interest in anything and in spite of a 
disposition naturally sweet, bid fair to become fret¬ 
ful and spoiled. 

The Van Buskirks were wealthy, enjoying the 
usual luxuries that money can buy. To a certain 
extent and among their special friends they enter¬ 
tained, but were not given to display. In the midst 
of the activities that modern life almost thrusts upon 
men and women of means, they kept as far as pos¬ 
sible to the family traditions and domestic realities. 
Sylvia was one of several sisters noted for their 
grace and charm; and when Philip Van Buskirk, 
young, handsome, somewhat timid in these days, 
first saw Sylvia Van Ness and met a glance from 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


11 


her grave, sympathetic eyes, his choice was made. 
A wholesome family life, consideration for others, 
great interest in their children, soft-voiced women 
and quiet, efficient men were characteristic of these 
people and their friends. 

After finishing her own letters, Cathalina sat 
quietly and watched her mother as she rapidly read 
one after another. Mrs. Van Buskirk’s dark hair, 
perfectly arranged, made a frame for her sweet, 
thoughtful face. Little rings of hair, curling from 
the moist heat, strayed about her brow and ears. 
“Such a pretty mother, ,, said Cathalina, reaching 
over to pat the slender hand resting on the table. 
Her mother drew Cathalina’s fingers within her own 
and read on down the last page of the last letter. 

Cathalina had always wanted to look like her 
mother. Often as a little child she had stood before 
the mirror, anxiously looking to see if her hair were 
not a trifle darker, her nose a trifle longer! Some 
one had mentioned pug noses with scorn. Could it 
be that hers was one? For several months she wor¬ 
ried over the matter, until one day one of her aunts 
had said, “I think Cathalina is going to have the 
Van Buskirk nose. ,, That was anything but a 
pug, she knew, and then she feared that she might 
have a nose as long as Uncle Martin Van Buskirk’s, 
—which would never do on a girl! Alas the secret 
fears of childhood, so real, yet so easily forgotten. 


12 


OATH ALIN A AT GEEYCLIFF 


“Well, Cathalina, have you any news?” 

Cathalina handed her mother an open letter, ask¬ 
ing in her turn, “Anything important in your mail?” 

“Three requests for money, a funny letter of 
thanks from your old Irish admirer, Mrs. Sullivan,— 
look at it;—a letter from our secretary of foreign 
missions and a note from Aunt Katherine, saying 
that she will be over some time after lunch. It 
must have been left by the chauffeur, as there is no 
sign of it’s having been through the mails. It should 
have been brought directly to me.” 

“Why didn’t she telephone?” 

“She is sending this catalogue for us to look over. 
Part of her note is about you. How would you like 
to go to a school like this?” and Mrs. Van Buskirk 
pushed across the table the neat catalogue of a girls’ 
school. 

Cathalina picked it up without much interest, 
turning the pages carelessly to look at pictures of 
fine buildings, beautiful grounds, and girls playing 
tennis, rowing, or winding in pretty May Day 
pageant. 

“Mercy!” she exclaimed. “It makes me tired just 
to look at it! I like to read, but I just hate to really 
study hard! And if I go rowing I’d rather have 
some nice young man do the work!” 

Mrs. Van Buskirk compressed her lips and gave 
Cathalina a searching look. “Why, my child, that 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


IB 


does not sound like you! And since when have you 
grown sentimental ?” 

“O, I don’t mean anything silly, Mother, but 
you get so hot rowing! I’m not athletic, like that 
horrid Gladys Morrow that ran around with Ann 
Maria last summer.” 

“I wish you had her health,’’ said Mrs. Van 
Buskirk. 

“And her manners?’’ 

Mrs. Van Buskiark only smiled wisely and drew 
the telephone apparatus toward her. “I must tele¬ 
phone to Aunt Katharine now.” 

“Just a moment, Mother. Do you care if I tele¬ 
phone to Professor Glenn not to come this morning? 
It is so hot and I want to see Phil. Then we’ll be 
going away pretty soon anyway, won’t we? I 
haven’t practiced much and I don’t like the things 
he gives me. I don’t like him very well either.” 

“What a list of excuses!” Mrs. Van Buskirk 
paused to consider. “If you are feeling ill, Cath- 
alina, I will telephone to him myself. But it hardly 
seems courteous to be so irregular in the work, to 
say nothing of your own good. I think we might let 
the lessons go on until we go away.” 

“O, dear!” sighed Cathalina. 

“I must talk to your father about it, then.” 

“He will only say for you to 'follow your own 
judgment’.” 


14 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


Mrs. Van Buskirk laughed. ‘Well, I’ll think 
about it and see your teacher when he conies this 
morning. Remember that it is bread and butter to 
him.” 

Cathalina puckered up her face at the prospect of 
the coming lesson, but seeing her mother’s disturbed 
look, she said, “All right, Mamma, I’ll try to be 
decent!” With her fingers she pretended to smooth 
out the frown and turn up the corners of her mouth. 
“Here is Philly’s happy grin! Is that all right?” 

But her mother had called Mrs. Knickerbocker’s 
telephone number and only gave Cathalina a kindly 
smile. 

“Is this Mrs. Knickerbocker’s residence? Yes;— 
O, is this Aunt Katherine ? This is Sylvia. I have 
just received your note. Yes; I see. By some mis¬ 
take it was put with the mail. I am quite interested 
in your ideas. No, I have not had time to look it 
over carefully, but will do so. Cathalina is looking 
at it now. I hardly know. She does not seem to be 
exactly wild at the prospect.” Mrs. Van Buskirk’s 
eyes wandered to Cathalina, who was languidly turn¬ 
ing the pages of the catalogue again. 

“We must talk it over. Are any of Cathalina’s 
friends going there? Not a soul? Well! What I 
want to suggest, Aunt Katherine, is that you all 
come over to dinner tonight. ‘Little Phil’ came 
home unexpectedly about half an hour ago. No, 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


15 


nothing wrong, finished his examinations and did 
not care, I suppose, to stay through the Commence¬ 
ment exercises. Eve hardly seen him yet; he went 
right to his room for clean attire. O, is Uncle 
away? I’m sorry. But bring Ann Maria, anyway. 
Goodbye. Yes, thank you, goodbye/' 


16 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER II. 

AUNT KATHERINE GIVES ADVICE. 

The Van Buskirk dinner hour was approaching. 
After a heavy thunder storm with hail, a cool breeze 
freshened the hot city. The dainty lace curtains ini 
the drawing room were blowing dangerously for 
their gossamer threads. But Sylvia Van Buskirk 
let them blow while she threw open every one of 
the long French windows which opened on the 
veranda. Its stone floor was covered with rose 
petals and leaves from the vines that twined around 
the great pillars. “What a storm it was!” she was 
thinking as she looked out. An easy chair was 
drawn near one of the windows and she was looking 
about for the evening paper when Mr. Van Buskirk 
appeared in evening dress. Some little services for 
her husband Sylvia kept as her own. It was not 
one of those houses in which the servants are always 
in evidence. 

Mr. Van Buskirk came smiling toward his wife 
and putting his arm around her drew her to the 
window, while he, too, looked out upon the results 


CATHALINA AT GKEYCLIFF 


17 


of the storm. Philip Van Buskirk Senior was a 
little above average height, well built but not heavy. 
He did not possess the dark eyes which were char- 
acteristic of so many of the Van Buskirks, but blue 
ones of the unfading blue type, passed on to Catha- 
lina. His hair was beginning to show grey threads, 
but he looked active and well, and his air was that 
of the well-poised, successful business man who is 
accustomed to carry responsibility. His face was 
rather serious, refined, and just now very tender; 
for dear as his children were to him, Sylvia had al¬ 
ways stood first. 

“As soon as you have rested a little, I would like 
to talk with you about an important matter.” 

“I am rested now. Bath, shave and clean clothes 
always rest a man, that is,—well, do not expect me 
to do any talking. IVe been closeted, at different 
times today, with half a dozen men,—each one try¬ 
ing to put through some scheme.” 

“Poor boy! This is a scheme of Aunt Kath¬ 
erine’s, but for our good, not hers, and especially 
for Cathalina’s benefit. If my experience with Cath- 
alina today is at all suggestive. Auntie’s idea isn’t 
bad.” 

Instead of taking chair and paper, then, Mr. Van 
Buskirk stretched out upon a couch not far from the 
windows, and while he closed his eyes and held his 
wife’s hand as if her nearness rested him, Sylvia 


18 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


outlined Aunt Katherine’s plan for sending Catha- 
lina to a girls’ school. 

They had not talked long when the children ap¬ 
peared. Philip at seventeen was already taller than 
his father. Slender, dark-eyed, his dark brown hair 
cut in the latest fashion, he looked quite the dandy 
in his evening clothes. Cathalina, dressed as a little 
girl rather than a young lady, wore a lacy white 
frock, simple and pretty. 

“There is your Aunt Knickerbocker, I think,” 
said Philip Senior, rising quickly as the bell rang. 
“Go to meet her yourself, Phil; she’ll appreciate the 
attention.” But Philip had already started to the 
hall. 

“Home again, my dear boy!” was Aunt Kather¬ 
ine’s brisk greeting. Philip welcomed her warmly 
and started to unfasten the wrap which she had 
worn in the machine. 

“You are an improvement on the maid, Philip, 
and much better looking. No, I’ll not go upstairs, 
thank you,” and turning, Aunt Katherine stood a 
moment before a mirror in the hall, put back a 
wisp or two of silvery hair, patted her white laces 
and shook out the folds of her clinging black silk 
draperies. A maid who had just appeared in answer 
to Philip’s summons, waited a moment in the back¬ 
ground, then vanished as Mrs. Knickerbocker en- 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


19 


tered the room and greeted her advancing host and 
hostess. 

Tall and erect was Aunt Katherine, with well 
cut features, mouth a little wide, perhaps, nose a 
trifle long, but well shaped. Nothing could look 
more uncompromising than that straight. Van Bus- 
kirk back; nothing could be more cutting on occasion 
than a few of her quiet, well directed remarks. But 
no one in the connection was more respected and 
generally beloved for her wisdom, good, common 
sense and real, unselfish kindness. 

She put an arm around Cathalina and as Phil 
had done in the morning, turned up the delicate face 
to look at it. Soft lights by this time had been 
turned on, and shone through Cathalina’s hair, mak¬ 
ing a sort of halo around her face. Her eyes, how¬ 
ever, twinkled up into Aunt Katherine’s with a 
glance more human than angelic. 

“Nice little girl,” said Mrs. Knickerbocker, kiss¬ 
ing Kathalina’s forehead and turning away to ac¬ 
cept the comfortable wicker chair just placed for 
her by the elder Philip. 

“Where is Ann Maria?” asked Sylvia. 

“She telephoned from Libbie’s that they are keep¬ 
ing her there for dinner and want Philip and Catha¬ 
lina to come over as soon as possible. Elizabeth 
said that she would have liked them both for din¬ 
ner, but would not expect you to give Philip up to- 


20 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


night. Louise came home yesterday. John passed 
his examination for the bar, as we knew, of course, 
he would. His Western trip, too, promises much 
But Libbie can’t bear to think of his settling so far 
away. I judge that nobody but Juliet will see much 
of him for a while,—his sweetheart, Philip. Will’s 
knee is better and they think that no serious trouble 
will result. Charlotte is much better,—hives—and 
they are all spoiling her as usual, so Libbie says.” 

Aunt Katherine herself smiled over her own var¬ 
ied budget of news from Elizabeth Van Ness, often 
known as “Cousin Libbie”, whose pleasant home was 
in a suburb near. Cathalina and her mother had 
drawn their chairs near Mrs. Knickerbocker, while 
Philip and his father drifted into a little conversa¬ 
tion of their own, as Philip recounted recent events 
at the military school from which he had just re¬ 
turned. 

Philip was not the too common prodigal son of 
a rich man. His father, fond and proud of his son 
and heir, had studied the boy, taking him into his 
confidence, and had interested him at first in the 
more romantic side of his business by stories about 
the different products and producers. Later Philip 
was given the opportunity to study different depart¬ 
ments and even entrusted with a little responsibility. 
An allowance, small at first and increasing with the 
years, was made, and within this he was supposed 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


21 


to bring his personal expenses. To Mr. Van Bus- 
kirk’s great satisfaction, Philip was responding to 
this effort to fit him for responsibility, and as he 
went about with his father he was unconsciously ab¬ 
sorbing much and learning to distinguish the true 
from the false and the honorable from the dishon¬ 
orable. 

“Before you go, Philip,” said Aunt Katherine 
after dinner, “may I have some music?” 

“Certainly,” replied Philip promptly, seating him¬ 
self at the piano. What will you have, Auntie ? Col¬ 
lege songs and ragtime are not in your line, are 
they?” 

It was a pretty picture,—the beautiful room, the 
dark, rich wood of the piano, Philip’s glowing face 
and Cathalina’s smiling one, looking over the piano 
at her brother. 

A sparkling, indefinite prelude passed gradually 
into a dreamy theme that suited the relaxed mood 
of the family. Then followed several well-known 
classics till Philip rose suddenly and with one hand 
on his heart bowed low in exaggerated concert style 
to Aunt Katherine, who laughed and tossed him a 
crimson rose with which she had been playing. 

“What was that pretty thing you played first,— 
after your preliminaries?” she asked, as Philip sat 
down again and began to turn the pages of a collec¬ 
tion of songs which Cathalina handed him. 


22 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


‘‘Something by a new composer, I believe, Auntie,” 
replied Philip with a wink at Cathalina. “I couldn’t 
tell you the name of it.” 

Cathalina could not conceal her amusement and 
Aunt Katherine quickly exclaimed, “I knew it! You 
did it yourself! It was lovely. You play with much 
expression, Philip, a great gift in these degenerate 
days!” 

“Really, Aunt Katherine, if the children are go¬ 
ing to Libbie’s, we shall have to cut short the music. 
College songs another time, Cathalina. I’m sorry.” 
Philip began to whistle softly a phrase of “Who is 
Sylvia,” as Cathalina hurried off to get ready. 

In the hall Watts at the telephone looked around 
to say, “Tire is off the touring car, sir; can have 
the electric at the door in a few minutes.” 

“All right,—nobody but Cathalina and me, and 
Ann Maria coming back.” 

At the top of the steps Cathalina gave a little 
skip. “O, Phil, this is almost jolly, isn’t it? I’m 
so glad you and the girls are back!” 

“I like that ‘almost’!” Philip took her arm down 
the steps and put her carefully into the car. 

“Are you glad to be home?” 

“Glad!—you don’t know how awful it is some¬ 
times,—and then again, it’s jolly fun,” Philip smiled 
at the remembrance of certain pranks. 

“You’re awfully nice to me,” continued Cathalina, 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 23 

“just as nice as you are to Louise or Ann Maria. 
Rosalie Haverhill said that her brother didn’t pay 
any attention to her after he had been away to 
school.” 

Philip was still at the stage when he preferred to 
avoid the expression of sentiment, though possess¬ 
ing his share. “O, you’re a good old scout. Kit, 
that’s the reason.” 

It was not a long ride to the Van Ness place, 
where a roomful of cousins awaited them. Cousin 
Elizabeth herself, sweet and hospitable, met them at 
the door. 

“O, Ann Maria!—Emily Stuart, is this really 
you? and is Campbell—O, there he is!” Cathalina 
was quite animated for a little while, as she greeted 
the cousins. 

Ann Maria Van Ness was an orphan, grandniece 
of Aunt Knickerbocker, and lived with them, Emily, 
Campbell and Sara Stuart were the children of one 
of Philip Van Buskirk’s sisters. Campbell was 
about the age of Philip Junior; Emily scarcely a 
year older; Sarah, a little girl of ten years. Emily 
and Louise Van Ness, who was Cousin Elizabeth’s 
oldest daughter, had returned from boarding school 
Ann Maria attended the same school, but had re¬ 
turned earlier. She was almost as tall as Phil, an 
athletic girl, with good features and an alert, viva¬ 
cious manner. Her “chum cousin” was Louise, who 


24 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


was short, plump, fair-haired and blue-eyed, with 
charming dimples in her round cheeks. Ann, or 
“Nan”, Van Ness disowned the name of Nancy, but 
consented to be called Nan that she might be dis¬ 
tinguished from her cousin Ann Maria. Nan and 
Cathalina were of nearly the same age. 

The eldest son of the family was not there, “mak¬ 
ing a call”, said his father with a twinkle in answer 
to Philip’s inquiry. Will, a youngster of some eleven 
years, who was hobbling around with one crutch, 
noisily claimed Philip’s attention. 

“How’d you get your game knee, Will?” 

“O,—playin’ baseball; fell.” 

“Am, too, goin’ to see Philly!” came in shrill 
tones from the hall, before the family were well 
settled down for a visit. 

“O, Mother, Charlotte is making trouble with 
Nina. You’ll have to settle her.” 

“Let her come in a minute. I don’t care for 
once. She had a long nap this afternoon and I don’t 
blame her for not wanting to go to bed. It was a 
shame to send her off when she knew that Philip 
and Cathalina were coming.” 

“She adores Philip,” said Louise. 

“Behold Mother’s discipline,” remarked Nan 
wisely. 

Small, fat, curly-haired, almost a tiny edition of 
Louise, little Charlotte appeared in the door, having 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


25 


escaped her nurse. Eluding several outstretched 
hands, she dashed across the room and with some as¬ 
sistance perched upon Philip’s knee. 

Philip placed her firmly and began to recite 
“There was an old woman as I’ve heard tell.” 

Charlotte chuckled and poked his face with her 
chubby fingers. 

“Now, fee b’ind mice.” 

“I don’t know that one, do I?” asked Philip, teas¬ 
ing. 

“Why, yes you do! Don’t you know ?—‘Fee b’ind 
mice, See how ay wun!” 

“I don’t think I can remember it unless you tell 
me first what your name is.” 

“Sh’lotte Mee-ni-a Buckets V’n Hoosen Doosen 
V’n Ness.” 

A ripple of laughter greeted this, Will adding a 
boyish “haw-haw!” 

“Philip Van Buskirk, did you teach her that?” 
came from Mrs. Van Ness. 

Philip grinned broadly. “I really didn’t think 
she’d remember. Smart child!” 

“Why, Charlotte, your name isn’t Maria; here’s 
Ann Maria.” 

“Yes, ’tis Meenia. Philip said,” insisted Char¬ 
lotte, nodding her curls. 

“Ah, Phil, now she’s let the cat out of the bag.” 

“Kitty, kitty,” called Philip softly. 


26 


CATHALINA AT GKEYCLIFF 


Charlotte jumped down and looked all round. 
“Why where’s a kitty? Don’t see any kitty!” 

“What does she mean by ‘Buckets’, Philip?” 

“Van Buskirk,” replied Philip, arching his black 
brows and drawing his face into a comical look of 
pretended distress. 

“Come on, Phil, play for us,” said Ann Maria. 
“Louise has some new music.” 

“Good; let Louise do it.” 

“You first, my dear Philip!” 

“O, start the victrola, girls!” 

“Philip Van Buskirk! Do you mean to say that 
you will take piano and organ all year of the per¬ 
fectly fine professor down there and not play a note 
for your suffering family?” 

So Philip was escorted to the piano by Ann Maria 
and Louise, and played for this family group as he 
had played for Aunt Katherine. 

Ann Maria looked questioningly at Cathalina as 
Philip played his own exquisite little theme, and re¬ 
ceiving a confirming nod, looked mischievous, but 
remained silent like the rest until Philip had fin¬ 
ished. 

“What was that second thing you played, Phil ?— 
I can’t think what it is, someway, but it sounds 
like—” Ann Maria paused as if trying to think of 
the name of a composition. 

“What does it sound like?” demanded Philip, 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


27 


whirling around. Then he caught the look in Ann 
Maria’s eyes. 

“O, you Maria,” said he slangily, shaking his 
head at her and dashing into popular songs in which 
the cousins joined. 

‘‘What is it?” asked Louise, who did not under-^ 
stand. 

“O, just Ann Maria, as usual, teasing Philly about 
the piece he made up,” replied Cathalina. 

'I' ^ ^ ^ 

Meanwhile Aunt Katherine was leading the dis¬ 
cussion at the Van Buskirk’s. 

“I have not wanted to intrude, Philip, but it has 
seemed to me for some time that our very anxiety 
for Cathalina is spoiling her.” 

“Why, Aunt Katherine!” exclaimed Sylvia in gen¬ 
tle protest, “Cathalina is usually as sweet as can be.” 

“I do not mean spoiled in the sense of becoming 
undutiful or exacting. No child of yours, Sylvia, 
could be anything but sweet.” Aunt Katherine, 
though never insincere, knew when to put in a judi¬ 
cious compliment. Philip Junior, however, would 
not have thanked her for his share in this one. 

“Why, thank you, Auntie; I’m afraid I do not * 
deserve that.” 

“Yes, you do; but, my dear, do you realize that 
the child does almost nothing for herself? No won¬ 
der that she is anaemic and lacks energy! There 


28 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


is no real wholesome exercise that she wants to 
take. Isn’t that true?” 

Mr. and Mrs. Van Buskirk were both very sober. 

t 

“A maid dresses her, picks up after her and brings 
her meals when she is either too miserable or too 
lazy to go down to the dining room. The child 
reads, draws and paints a little and rides around 
in the car to shop. She has practically no young 
companions except her cousins,—though in some re¬ 
spects that is just as well here.” 

“When I suggested tennis or riding or swim¬ 
ming lessons, she just begged me not to make her,” 
said Sylvia, “and I knew she was not fit for any real 
strain.” 

“O, it is always ‘lessons’, in this, that or the 
other,” laughed Aunt Katherine. “I don’t know 
that I blame her. Perhaps you can get her to swim 
if you are on the coast this summer. But I have 
been observing that aside from her health you have 
a real problem to solve. I rather particularly love 
Cathalina,—and when I received the letter from my 
old friend, Ellen Randolph, with the catalogue I 
sent you this morning, it occurred to me that per¬ 
haps a complete change would rouse Cathalina. If 
she could see, for instance, that most girls do with¬ 
out many of the luxuries which she takes for 
granted, it would do her good. She has had private 
teaching enough, in my opinion.” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


29 


“But why not send her then to Aunt Willard’s 
school, where we all have gone? Troy is so near.” 

“Well, you know I think everything of that and 
remember Madam Willard herself, but this is a dif¬ 
ferent case. Cathalina needs to go farther away 
from home and away from her cousins. She needs 
to be on her own resources.” 

‘'She is pretty young for that,” said Mr. Van 
Buskirk, doubtfully. “I prefer to protect her from 
some things.” 

“Ellen will look after her so far as she needs 
any real care or sympathy. And traveling expenses 
mean nothing to you as they do some people. You 
can reach the place in a comparatively short time.” 

“There is splendid sense in what you say, Aunt 
Katherine, and we will think it over carefully.” 

“I will write to Ellen and tell her to send you all 
the information they send out.” 

“How can I spare the child!” exclaimed Sylvia. 

“But her welfare? No one must grow up too 
dependent. There will be all kinds of gymnastic 
exercises and sports and girls to whom she will be 
as strange as they to her. I count on her pride and 
the “Van Buskirk grit” to make her want to be on 
an equality with the rest. She will be without a 
maid, and I hope it need not be known that she has 
one and everything else she wants!” 


30 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


“It would not be like Cathalina to plume herself 
upon advantages.” 

“No,” put in Mr. Van Buskirk, “but those things 
usually leak out.” 

“Yes,” said Aunt Katherine,” but not, I hope un¬ 
til the poor child has had a fair start” 


CATHALINA AT GEEYCLIFF 


31 


CHAPTER III. 

HILARY LANCASTER. 

While Cathalina Van Buskirk’s aunt was making 
suggestions, another aunt, in a different way was 
shaping the destiny of another young girl, Hilary 
Lancaster. 

It was an early morning of the first week in June. 
Mrs. Lancaster always found it wise to rise with the 
lark and accomplish what she could before the door 
bell and telephone began for the day. This morn¬ 
ing the grocery list was made out, the breakfast 
cooking, the vegetables partly prepared for the noon 
dinner, a blouse cut out for Tommy, and the porches 
fresh from the hose. Hilary, too, had risen early to 
work a hard problem, and it was she who had turned 
the hose on the porches. 

“Call your father now, Hilary, please, and tell 
him that breakfast is nearly ready. I will see about 
the boys presently. They are up but I must see that 
Gordon puts on a clean collar. Is Mary awake ?” 

“Yes; IT1 dress her as soon as I call Father. 
June is all ready and studying her history. 


32 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


1 


It was a minister’s busy household. In due sea¬ 
son, the breakfast over, Hilary and June had washed 
the dishes and with the boys were off to school. 
Mary was well established with her family of bat¬ 
tered dolls under the apple tree near the kitchen 
door. Mrs. Lancaster had commenced to iron when 
the mail carrier arrived and Dr. Lancaster presently 
appeared, by way of the dining room door, to hand 
her a letter. 

“You are tired already, Grace,” said Dr. Lan¬ 
caster. “You know I can’t bear to have you do 
this. ,> 

“I’ll not, reverend sir, as soon as we catch up a 
little; and anyway it is so hard to find anybody. My 
woman does the washing well, but I tried her on 
the ironing and it was hopeless! The children have 
so many starched things, too, this hot weather, and 
they have to look well in school.” 

“All the more reason, then, for having some help.” 

“School is almost out and then Hilary and June 
will be able to help me more.” 

Dr. Lancaster sighed and went back to his study, 
where much work of a different sort was waiting 
him. In a few minutes, Mrs. Lancaster with her 
open letter slipped to the study door, peeped in to 
see if her husband were writing and under the influ¬ 
ence of the divine afflatus; but finding that he was 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


33 


still reading the morning paper, she went in to share 
the news of her rather amazing message. 

“Read this, dear, and tell me if I am dreaming.” 

Dr. Lancaster looked inquiringly at his wife, laid 
down the paper, took the letter and began to read it 
aloud. 

My dear Grace: 

It is at least three weeks, I know, since I wrote. 
But you can imagine how much there was to do and 
how sad it all was. I will write about it in detail 
later, but I have a special purpose in this letter. 

Although Horace was Mother Garland’s only 
child and although she and I have lived together 
for so long, still it never occurred to me that she 
would leave the bulk of the property to me. That 
was one surprise, and another was that there is so 
much of it. Mother lived so simply and we never 
knew until after her death how many people and 
causes she had helped. She wrote me a beautiful 
letter, found with her will and other papers, and told 
me to accept it all with her love and to take the rest 
and travel I would need. Her home is to go to an 
old friend, so that relieves me of much care here, 
and I shall make headquarters at my own lovely 
place, as soon as my tenant’s lease expires. For the 
summer I shall go to the lake as usual, and may have 
a new cottage built. 


34 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


,f Now for the important plan I have to suggest 
After I returned home from my last delightful visit 
with you all, it came over me how much all of us, 
from little Mary to your husband, depended upon 
our Hilary. Think it over and see if it isn’t so. 
Hilary is so full of life and vim and is so unusually 
capable in anything she undertakes that if we are 
not careful she may use up some of that vital force 
too early. O, I know we grow by activity and all 
that,—but what would you think of a change for 
Hilary from home and high school to a girls’ school, 
for her last two years before college? I gathered 
from what you and Max said that you are planning 
to send her to college; and even then I was hoping 
to have a share in that. And now, if you are will¬ 
ing, I can do much more for my little namesake. 

If on thinking over my suggestion, you are 
agreed, I will send you a draft for a thousand dol¬ 
lars. As nearly as I can find out, five hundred will 
take a girl through a school such as we should choose 
for Hilary in comfort, if not in luxury. But if it 
takes more, you can begin on the second five hun¬ 
dred and I will make up the difference when the time 
comes. 

I hope Max will let me do this. It will be such a 
pleasure. I can not tell you how proud I am of 
Hilary, the dear, bright child! Please decide soon, 
and if favorably we can send for catalogues and 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


35 


have all sorts of nice times getting her ready to go. 
Applications ought to be in early at any school. I 
know pretty well what Hilary likes, so I am going 
to begin picking up pretty things for her outfit. 

If Hilary does not like the plan,—well, no “ifs”, 
—I shall be anxiously waiting your decision. 

Lovingly your sister, 

Hilary Garland. 

Dr. Lancaster put down the letter and looked at 
his wife. “What do you think of it?” 

“I scarcely know. I was afraid you might feel 
a little annoyed, yet Hilary Senior is always just so 
enthusiastic over what she wants to do for her name¬ 
sake.” 

“No; I understand your sister. Her motives are 
of the best. We shall only consider what is best for 
the child.” 

At noon Hilary telephoned that she would not be 
home, for “they” were practicing the Commence¬ 
ment music and one of the girls whose accompani¬ 
ment she was to play lived near the school building 
and had invited her there for lunch. 

At the Lancaster’s supper hour Hilary had not 
arrived, but came in before the family had left the 
table. “Excuse me, folks,” she said, as she sat 
down, unfolded her napkin, and leaned back in her 
chair in an attitude of pretended collapse. 


30 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


“All in?” asked Gordon. 

“She’s all in and down and out,” put in Tommy, 
delighted to try the slang at home. 

Dr. Lancaster looked at his wife and said: “Tell 
us what you have been doing today, Hilary.” 

“The usual things, of course, at school. Then 
we practiced the Commencement music at noon and 
again after school. On the way home, Miss Bird 
stopped me first to see if I would take charge of 
the King’s Heralds for a few meetings,—she is go¬ 
ing away for a vacation. Next, Jim Randall called 
across the street that I would have to lead League 
next Sunday. One of the leaders has gone away 
and they have to move the program up, the Leaders, 
I mean. Then Myrtle came along and told me that 
the Sunday-school orchestra meets tonight, here if 
we can have it.” 

“Take them over to the church, Hilary; the official 
board meets here,” said Dr. Lancaster. 

“And when I was about half way home Miss 
Brown stopped me to give me back some themes,— 
said they were good—and while she was talking 
who should come along but Professor Morton, want¬ 
ing somebody to fill a gap in the choir Sunday.” 

“Going to do it all?” asked Tommy. 

“O, yes, I couldn’t think of any excuse. 

“And examinations coming on,” suggested her 
father. 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


37 


“O, no; I get out of them all. You always do if 
your grades are high enough.” 

At this remark Tommy grew very red, but kept 
quite still, while Gordon winked at June. Poor 
Tommy was the only one of the children not ex¬ 
cused from examination, and while his grades were 
not low, he felt much disgraced. Another year 
would probably find young Thomas taking his studies 
more seriously. 

“And what do you do after orchestra practice 
tonight?” inquired Dr. Lancaster. 

“Well, I get my last Caesar lesson,—hurrah!— 
and I thought I might begin to copy your article 
for you, Father, unless Mother wants me to do 
something else.” 

“No typewriting tonight, daughter, both for your 
sake and that of the official board.” 

“Eat your supper, dear child,” said Mrs. Lan¬ 
caster. “Aren’t these the finest strawberries? Mr. 
Short brought them in from the country this morn¬ 
ing,—his choicest berries!” 

“Sometimes it does pay to be the minister’s fam¬ 
ily, doesn’t it?” laughed Hilary. “And your grand 
cake! How could you bake it when it was so hot?” 

“Another donation, my dear; that is Mrs. Blake’s 
cake.” 

“Ours now,” put in Gordon between bites. 

“This is a good time, Mother,” said Dr. Lan- 


38 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


caster, “to tell Hilary about Aunt Hilary's letter. 
It would seem that she is right about Hilary's busy 
life." 

The effect of the news upon the children was 
varied. All exclaimed and looked at Hilary, who 
hardly knew at first whether to be glad or sorry, 
provided the plan was adopted. She caught her 
breath in astonishment. 

“How lovely of Aunt Hilary!—but how can I 
give up my class and all the girls?" Then, think¬ 
ing of the reported charms of boarding school life 
she added, “It would be fun, I suppose. May I go 
to any school I want?" 

“Yes," replied her father, “unless you choose 
some ultra-fashionable place. We want a real prep¬ 
aration for college. As your aunt suggests, we can 
send for catalogues and decide together." 

“Father talks as if he's going to let you do it," 
said Gordon. 

“But," said June, who was trying hard not feel 
left out and to be generously glad for Hilary, “what 
can we ever do without Hilary?" 

“Your very question, little daughter, goes a long 
way to prove that it might be just as well for Hilary 
to have a little less pressure outside while she is 
working so hard at her lessons. I do want her to 
excel there,—as she does." 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


39 


“But I like everything!” cried Hilary. “Do you 
suppose I can ever stand it to leave you all?” 

“You have been planning to stand it when you 
go to college,” remarked Mrs. Lancaster, who was 
wondering privately how she could bring herself to 
spare her oldest. 

“But I’d be older then.” 

“Think what fun it will be, Hilary, continued her 
mother, “to buy your clothes and get everything 
ready this summer.” 

“O, can I choose my clothes, Mother?—think of 
it,—little old Hilary! It is too wonderful! I won¬ 
der what Annette and the rest of the girls will say.” 

“Hilary said ‘can’ for ‘may’,” corrected June, 
putting a spoonful of powdered sugar on a few 
remaining strawberries in her dish. 

“I’m not sure, but I meant ‘can’, anyway, Junie. 
You will have to help me plan with Mother and 
Auntie.” 

Such happy weeks for Hilary that summer. Aunt 
Hilary announced that none of them would kill 
themselves sewing; so while they made some pretty 
things, others were purchased ready-made, or the 
material handed over to a dressmaker. “Suit, rain¬ 
coat, winter coat, gloves,”—the list was made out 
a dozen times before they actually started in to buy. 
And how they rejoiced in the summer bargains for 
the simple summer dresses or pretty accessories. 


40 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


Aunt Hilary had invited Hilary, June and the 
boys to come and stay through August at her sum¬ 
mer cottage, while Dr. Lancaster, with Mrs. Lan¬ 
caster and little Mary, took his usual vacation in 
a more quiet spot. Mrs. Garland took pains to show 
June, Gordon and Tommy that she was interested in 
them as well as in her namesake. Parties, picnics, 
boating and swimming where the little inland lake 
stretched placid waters, with different performances 
of the enterprising Tommy, made the days fly. 

From time to time Aunt Hilary made dainty ad¬ 
ditions to Hilary’s “trousseau”, as she called it. 
Among other things which looked “bridey”, accord¬ 
ing to Hilary, was a cedar chest, over which Hilary 
hung with clasped hands, so great was her surprise 
and admiration. 

“Look at the lovely lining and pockets, June! 
Why, Aunt Hilary, it will be my hope box for ever!” 

“What is a ‘hope box’, Hilary?” 

“Why, don’t you know? That is what the girls 
call the box where they put their guest towels and 
doilies and silver and things they are saving for 
when they get married.” 

“O, yes; a bridal chest. I see.” 

“I have several embroidered towels and some sil¬ 
ver spoons already.” 

“Mercy, child, I hope you are not thinking of 
such things yet!” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


41 


“No, indeed, Aunt Hilary; all I can think of is 
Greycliff and the wonderful year I’m going to have. 
Honestly, I feel like dancing up and down sometimes 
and can hardly wait.” 

So sped the summer days on wings, until finally 
golden September came once again with the ringing 
of school bells all over the land. 


42 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER IV. 

GREYCLIFF. 

Greycliff Heights was the name of the small 
town where Mr. Van Buskirk and Cathalina found 
themselves one bright day in the middle of Septem¬ 
ber. At the station were a few taxicabs decorated 
with Greycliff banners. A short spin over a pretty, 
winding road brought them out to the school called 
Greycliff. There they entered a broad gateway and 
glided around a curved drive to Greycliff Hall, the 
girls’ dormitory. 

A rolling, grassy campus; flowers and a fountain; 
a scattered group of handsome grey stone buildings, 
vine-covered; a green wood, whose trees and bushes 
gradually thinned toward the sandy beach which lay 
between the campus proper and where the lake 
danced and shimmered at a distance,—these were 
what the eye could gather for a first impression. 

“Look, Papa!” said Cathalina, “see those lovely 
horses. Do you suppose they belong here ?” 

“Very likely.” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


43 


At some distance beyond the campus, a large 
pasture was fenced in and there grazed about a 
dozen pretty ponies and as many horses. 

“O, I do believe I shall like the riding lessons 
after I get over being afraid!” 

“As you grow stronger and more used to every¬ 
thing, Cathalina, you will not feel so timid.” 

By this time they were ready to ascend the steps. 
A broad veranda with Ionic pillars extended the 
great width of the great building, and they had no 
sooner reached the top than from one of the com¬ 
fortable porch seats there rose a slight woman, some¬ 
what under middle height, who came to meet them. 
Her face was serious, with wise, observant grey eyes; 
but when she drew near and held out a cordial hand, 
a warm smile lit up the whole face and Cathalina’s 
feeling of a stranger in a strange land began to slip 
away. Introducing herself as the principal, Miss 
Randolph welcomed the newcomers sincerely and 
took them into her own reception room. 

“If I had not been on the porch, the maid would 
have brought you in with more ceremony,” she said, 
pleasantly. “I was really expecting you on that 
train, from what Mrs. Knickerbocker wrote. How 
is she? She has been a delightful friend to me.” 

Cathalina had expected to see an older lady of 
Aunt Katherine’s age; but this charming little lady 


44 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


could scarcely be ten years older than Cathalina’s 
own mother. 

A conversation followed, in which Mr. Van Bus- 
kirk supplemented the correspondence of the sum¬ 
mer with further explanations of his plans for Cath- 
alina. “I think you will find Cathalina obedient and 
helpful/' said he, “and we shall appreciate any hints 
that you can give her. Since her health is already 
so much improved by the summer’s outing, I think 
that she can soon be as busy as the rest." 

“It will be a pleasure to have her here, I know. 
I am sorry that there are so few girls here today. To¬ 
morrow and the next day will bring them." 

“There were no girls at all on our train," said 
Cathalina, who had been disappointed. Little as 
she had wanted to come, she was not without a nat¬ 
ural curiosity as to her future companions. 

“I should be glad if the matter of a roommate 
could be arranged before you leave, Mr. Van Bus- 
kirk, but it may not be possible. The plans of the 
old girls are all made, so it must be a “new girl". 
I have in mind a few girls from homes of especial 
refinement, and I will use my best judgment for 
Cathalina. Now you will want to see her room." 

In response to Miss Randolph’s ring there ap¬ 
peared a plump, rosy-cheeked girl whom Cathalina 
supposed to be a servant, though she was not in 
maid’s attire. 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


45 


“This is Alma Huntley, one of our girls, who 
helps me a great deal. Alma, please take Mr. Van 
Buskirk and his daughter to number fifty-two, sec¬ 
ond floor.” 

Through the big hall to the elevator, down an¬ 
other hall on the second floor, and they were ushered 
into a tiny suite of two rooms at the front of the 
building, its sitting room at the corner on the side 
toward the lake. “The girls call this Lakeview 
Corridor,” said Alma. 

Cathalina stepped to the window and looked off, 
through and across the treetops to the restless waters 
beyond. It did not seem much like home, and Cath- 
alina’s eyes filled with tears. 

“A fine view for you, my child,” Mr. Van Bus¬ 
kirk remarked cheerfully, though it did seem too 
much like leaving his little girl behind. “Your 
mother will pay you a flying visit soon; did she tell 
you?” Mr. Van Buskirk had observed the tears. 

“No; will she really?” 

“Do you suppose she could stand it long not to 
see how you are placed? You must take some snap 
shots for her as soon as possible.” 

Alma looked interested, but Cathalina did not. 
Poor Mr. Van Buskirk had tried with varying suc¬ 
cess all day to suggest everything that might keep 
up Cathalina’s courage or interest her. He smiled 
a little now, remembering his efforts, successful at 


46 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


last, not to allow Sylvia to come with her daughter 
this time. 

“Let her have her chance, Sylvia,” he had said. 
It will be hard enough for her anyway, and if you 
go with her I'm afraid that she will be coming back 
on the same train!” 

But Mr. Van Buskirk hardly did Cathalina justice. 
She was neither as weak nor as babyish as they 
feared, in spite of all that they had done to make 
her so. Endowed by nature with considerable good 
sense, she had thought the matter over and deter¬ 
mined to show the dear home people that she really 
could amount to something, whether she wanted to 
do this or not. 

To many girls the prospect of a year at Grey- 
cliff was a dream of delight. Its very location was 
attractive. The school was well equipped, well en¬ 
dowed and had at its head a woman of noble char¬ 
acter, high culture and earnest purpose. Cathalina 
had little idea of what pleasant days were before her, 
days of companionship with other interesting girls; 
days of wholesome labor brightened by hours of fun 
and recreation; days of satisfaction in work well 
done, and days that brought new thoughts to Catha¬ 
lina of possibilities in her own life. 

For some reason Cathalina’s trunks had not ar¬ 
rived, so there was no unpacking except of suit¬ 
case and traveling bag. She was used to traveling 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


47 


and was at no loss in getting comfortably settled. 
Mr. Van Buskirk was made comfortable in the suite 
next to Cathalina’s. He had expected to go back to 
the hotel at Greycliff Heights, but Miss Randolph 
had insisted upon his remaining as a guest at Grey¬ 
cliff. 

“With all these vacant rooms/’ said she, “why 
not stay with Cathalina?” And Cathalina had added 
her persuasions. There were regular guest rooms, 
but they were too far from his little girl. 

After breakfast the next morning, Mr. Van Bus¬ 
kirk told Cathalina that he preferred to take the 
lake walk back to the town. His bag was sent by 
the old-fashioned Greycliff express wagon, while 
he strolled down the shady walk with Cathalina. 
He talked earnestly and cheerfully of different mat¬ 
ters, and at the arched gateway, where the vines 
climbed riotously and a little grey squirrel with a 
nut scolded them both, he kissed Cathalina goodbye 
and walked away briskly, turning once to give her 
a military salute and a parting smile. Cathalina 
blew a kiss and blithely waved her handkerchief, 
soon, alas, to be put to another use. 

“His dear old straight shoulders!” she said, for 
there was only the squirrel to hear; and in spite of 
her determination the tears would come. With a 
sob she collapsed into the rustic seat and was ready 
for a good cry. But suddenly she gathered herself 


48 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


together, mopped away the tears and stood up, as 
straight as her father. “No, I will not! It always 
makes me sick to cry! I’ll see if I can not show a 
little nerve for once. That is what Father’s military 
salute meant. He was saying to me, ‘Remember 
Martin Van Buskirk and the rest of your Revolution¬ 
ary ancestors, little daughter of the Revolution! 
I’m a goose! I’m past fourteen years old and I’ve 
been away from home before, and I guess if I wanted 
to go home awfully I could,—but I’m going to 
stay!” 

So the descendant of Martin Van Buskirk and 
Captain Hart walked as firmly and briskly as her 
father, up the walk, the front steps and the stairs 
to her own rooms, where she looked around to see 
what was to be done. “As Phil says, ‘Here goes!’ ” 
she remarked to herself, throwing back the top of a 
trunk; for before her father left, Cathalina’s trunks 
had been sent up and stood unlocked and unstrapped 
ir. the hall by the door. 

“I wish my roommate were here,” she thought; 
“still, perhaps it will be less confusing if I get my 
things put away first. And perhaps she’ll be home¬ 
sick, too, poor thing, and I can have a decent look¬ 
ing place for her. Dear me! This does not look much 
like home! Such teeny rooms, and only one 
dresser.” But thinking of some one else as home¬ 
sick as herself helped brace poor little Cathalina. She 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


49 


shook out her pretty, simple frocks and hung them 
on one side of the large closet which the girls 
were to share. 

“O, dear, I wish I had Etta,” she sighed; for by 
the time the dresser and wraps were hung up and the 
hats on the shelf, she was tired with the trips from 
trunks to closet. But she kept on, nevertheless, 
and spread on the table a pretty embroidered runner 
that Ann Maria had made for her, and carried there 
by armfuls books and boxes of finery. 

“Can’t put anything in the bureau drawers, I sup¬ 
pose, until we divide them. I’m going to buy a big 
chiffonier, for I don’t see how we are ever going 
to get along. I wish that steamer trunk could have 
been brought in. I wonder why they won’t allow 
trunks in the rooms. It wouldn’t have done any 
good if I had brought the wardrobe trunk I wanted.” 

At last the trunks were emptied and all that was 
to go in the bureau drawers arranged in neat piles 
on one of the beds. She was standing and consider¬ 
ing the windows, bare of curtains, when cheerful 
sounds drew her over to lean out and see what was 
going on. Girls were climbing out of one automo¬ 
bile. Another was rounding the curve, ready to 
stop as soon as the first should move on, and a third 
was entering the drive. Two express wagons and 
a motor truck, piled high with trunks, went rattling 
to the rear of Greycliff Hall. 


i 


50 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


Waving of handkerchiefs or hands, calls, laughter 
and “feminine shrieks” met eye and ear. A more 
mournful girl than Cathalina would have smiled at 
the sight. Some of the girls, in neat traveling suits, 
ran up the steps to meet and embrace several hat¬ 
less ones who hurried down to great them. One girl 
tossed aside bag and purse to throw her arms enthu¬ 
siastically around three of her friends. “O, you're 
all here, after all! Aren't you glad to get back? 
And you really did come, Mary!” 

“Do you know when Gertrude will get in?” 

“I have a new roommate and she is a perfect 
dear!” 

“Well, mine's a freak! I’m going to let her un¬ 
derstand a few things.” 

At this disagreeable remark, Cathalina realized 
that she was unintentionally eavesdropping and drew 
within her room once more. But her heart was 
warmed by the sight and she hoped that her room¬ 
mate was one of those happy girls. More girls ar¬ 
rived shortly, and the halls were alive with the 
sounds of merry voices and the bumping of trunks 
at different doors. 

“I can't stay here another minute!” cried Catha¬ 
lina. “I’m going down to see the fun!” She looked 
in the glass to see that the bows of her hair ribbon 
were in order and made her way past groups of girls 
to Miss Randolph's parlor on the first floor. 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


51 


CHAPTER V. 

CATHALINA FINDS HER ROOMMATE. 

“All these girls/’ thought Cathalina, “and I 
don’t know a single one!—but Alma.” The night 
before and at breakfast she had been at Miss Ran¬ 
dolph’s table, with her father and a few teachers, in 
the comparatively empty, echoing dining room. 
One other table was set and boasted a teacher and 
a few quiet, tired girls who had come a long dis¬ 
tance. 

Miss Randolph’s door stood wide open, and there 
was Miss Randolph, standing, note book in hand, 
in the midst of a roomful of girls in various stages 
of bewilderment, weariness, or interest, waiting their 
turn. A few mothers, fathers and other guardians 
of youth waited also. 

As Cathalina peeped in rather timidly, feeling, 
however, that Miss Randolph was her only rock in 
a sea of uncertainty, that lady beckoned her in and 
spoke to a young girl near, whose bright, alert look 
and winning expression Cathalina had noticed. 


52 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


“Miss Lancaster, this is Miss Van Buskirk, who 
will, I am sure, show you to your room and make 
it unnecessary for you to wait any longer. Alma is 
busy elsewhere, Cathalina,—if you do not mind,—” 

“I shall be very glad,” said Cathalina, uncon¬ 
sciously imitating the Sylvia Van Ness Van Buskirk 
sweetest manner of courtesy. 

“Hilary Lancaster will be your roommate,” con¬ 
tinued Miss Randolph, turning away rather abruptly 
to attend to the wants of one of the older girls who 
came in just then with perplexity written on her 
face. Many adjustments were necessary in these 
first school days. There were a few single rooms, 
some large suites, occupied by several girls together, 
and smaller ones like the two-room suite to be occu¬ 
pied by Cathalina and Hilary. 

As playing the part of hostess came naturally to 
Cathalina, Hilary, for of course it was the Hilary, 
received a much better impression of her new room¬ 
mate than if she had arrived first to see Cathalina 
in the throes of homesickness. “Pretty and awfully 
sweet,” was Hilary’s mental comment. Cathalina, 
too, was delighted with the bright, companionable 
girl who, full of interest and chatting away, went 
gaily to their little suite. 

Hilary went first to the windows to take a look at 
the lake, then threw hat and jacket on the bed and 
dropped herself into the one rocking chair. Catha- 


CATHALINA AT GKEYCLIFF 


53 


lina was already seated on the foot of her own bed, 
beginning to sort a few leftovers. 

“Isn’t this the most lovely place ? I’ve been crazy 
to come ever since I got over the first shock of giving 
up my high-school class. I can scarcely believe that 
I’m actually here for two years.” 

“O, won’t you go home?” asked Cathalina, who 
often took things literally. 

“Yes, of course, vacations; but I can be here two 
whole years. And then if nothing happens, I’m go¬ 
ing to college.” Hilary said this as if there were 
nothing more in life to be desired. 

Cathalina was amused, for her ambitions, so far, 
had not included completing any course here, to say 
nothing of a four years’ college course. 

“Rap-rap” at their sitting room door. Both girls 
started to answer the knock. There stood an at¬ 
tractive girl in a pink kimono. Two heavy braids 
of blonde hair, tied together with a pink ribbon, hung 
straight from a shapely head. Pretty white teeth 
gleamed when she gave them a happy smile and 
held out a pan of fudge. “Come over to fifty-one,” 
she said, as each selected a piece of hot candy. “We 
heard that fifty-two had some new girls. Come over 
and be social, though you mustn’t mind how we 
look.” 

Hilary and Cathalina did not hesitate, but fol¬ 
lowed the pink kimono and the pan of fudge into a 


54 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


room that looked like the first stages of a rummage 
sale. Pennants, books, pictures, clothing, boxes, 
curtains, bedding, and all sorts of articles strewed 
tables, chairs and floor. And there on the rug, in 
the middle of the floor, for want of a better seat, 
were three more girls in gay kimonos. Cathalina 
observed that these girls had done what her mother 
had warned her not to do. They had taken every¬ 
thing out of trunks in a hurry, to pile it all here, 
there and everywhere until convenient to sort and 
find a place for the articles of this remarkable col¬ 
lection. Nobody was worrying about it, that was 
evident. 

“Can you really make fudge here?” Hilary was 
asking as they entered. 

“Not in our rooms, but there is a place on every 
floor where we can make fudge or press our clothes 
or—anything. “And these, ladies,” continued the 
Pink Kimono with a sweeping gesture, are the Imps, 
or in other words, the Misses Diane Percy and Helen 
Paget, sometimes also known as the Sweet P’s, 
though we can’t say that is very original. We al¬ 
ways have Sweet P’s at Greycliff. The other frail 
being who is unable to rise is Betty Barnes, my un¬ 
happy companion in misery, that is, she is in misery, 
—my roommate. Elizabeth, can’t you do anything 
but grin?” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


55 


Three slim arms reached to shake hands and pull 
Hilary and Cathalina down into the charmed circle, 
where a bag of salted peanuts was set before them. 

“Perhaps you would like to know our names too,” 
said Hilary as she took the bag and poured a few 
peanuts into Cathalina’s hand. “We are Cathalina 
Van Buskirk, she—and Hilary Lancaster, me. I 
prefer rhyme to grammar, you see, by poetic license, 
as my learned father might say. And may we please 
know the name of the Pink Kimono?” 

“Beg pardon,” said that bright mystery, sitting 
down with the rest. I am Lilian North. But 
wouldn’t that make a good name for a detective 
story or a movie ?—‘The Pink Kimono’. Honestly, 
girls, I am so full of nonsense today that I am 
positively silly!” 

Diane assumed a pained expression and said in a 
stage whisper to the other “Imp”, “She has dis¬ 
covered it.” 

“Imp!” cried Lilian. 

Diane Percy was grey-eyed and red-cheeked, with 
a crisp, decided way of speaking; while her room¬ 
mate, Helen Paget, was golden-haired, with dark 
eyes, and a delicious Southern drawl. Betty Barnes 
was slim and fair, her soft, dark hair tied with a 
rose ribbon, her blue eyes much like Cathalina’s in 
hue, her manner demure, and a trifle more reserved 
than that of Lilian. All were nice girls and this 


56 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


proved to be the beginning of a happy friendship 
for both Cathalina and Hilary. Of their homes and 
history we may learn more later. 

The amount of fudge and peanuts was steadily 
diminishing, while many things about the school 
were being discussed and the girls were getting ac¬ 
quainted, when Hilary sprang up suddenly at the 
sound of baggage, being thumped and bumped not 
far away. “That must be my six band boxes and 
a bird cage,” said she, and with a farewell wave 
disappeared. 

“I must go too,” said Cathalina, wondering if 
Hilary really did have band-boxes. “Thank you all 
so much for the good time; you must come over to 
see us—won’t you?” 

“Indeed we will,” replied Lilian and the others 
variously expressed their friendly intentions. Num¬ 
ber 51 was a three-room suite, two single beds in 
each bedroom, the common sitting room large and 
sunny, with an attractive window seat, which would 
doubtless be fitted up with cushions when the girls 
finally decided to straighten up their belongings. 
As Cathalina left the girls for her own quarters, a 
young cyclone in short dress and with new shoes 
that squeaked, bumped past, almost upsetting Catha¬ 
lina, and with a careless “beg pardon”, flew past, 
breaking in a door a little further down the hall and 
shutting it with a bang. Cathalina stood looking 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


57 


after her with a shocked expression, and Hilary, 
who just then appeared in the door of 52, laughed 
and remarked, “Another of our neighbors, I sup¬ 
pose !” 

Hilary’s cedar chest, which had been carefully 
wrapped and crated, stood in all its glory inside the 
room, and the old janitor, as he appeared to be, 
seeming to be in charge of the trunk brigade, was 
unstrapping a trunk outside. 

“O, thank you!” cried Hilary, as the perspiring 
janitor unlocked the trunk with the key she handed 
him. 

“No tips,” whispered Cathalina aside; “Miss Ran¬ 
dolph said she does not allow it.” 

“Hilary, who had not traveled, except from one 
of her father’s appointments to another, hardly 
knew what tipping was, and would, never have 
thought of it, looked wise and said nothing. 

A busy hour or two followed. Cathalina told 
Hilary how nicely her plan worked, so Hilary did 
likewise, transferring her belongings, rather slowly, 
it is true, from trunk to closet, bureau drawers and 
cedar chest without the confusion of the neighbor¬ 
ing room. Only light articles had been packed in 
the cedar chest for the trip. 

“It takes longer at first,” remarked Hilary, “but 
it seems to be the better way. I hope you will not 
mind, Cathalina, but I’m really not very neat. You 


58 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


see, there was always so much to do at home that 
I neglected my room sometimes for other things 
and June so often picked up for both of us.” 

“I’m not neat, either,” said Cathalina, ‘‘because 
Etta,—well, I just don’t know how very well. ,, 

“We’ll have to criticise and train each other, 
then. You come to the bedroom door and say, ‘My 
dear Hilary, do you intend to leave those things on 
that chair?’ and I will say politely, ‘O, no, indeed, 
Cathalina, pray come in and sit down!’ ” Hilary illus¬ 
trated her supposed hospitality by lifting from a 
chair the armful of clothing which she had just 
sorted. “I heard Diane say that Miss Randolph is 
very particular about how the girls keep their 
rooms.” 

“Yes, and do you remember how Betty said with¬ 
out smiling a bit that that was why they were in such 
a hurry to get fixed up!—sitting there in all that 
muss!” Cathalina stood by the dresser, tucking 
away the last box of trinkets. She appeared quite a 
different Cathalina from the one who cheerfully but 
tearfully had waved farewell to her father earlier 
that morning. “Let’s go down and see what the 
grounds look like as soon as you are through.” 

“All right,” assented Hilary. “I believe I’ll stop 
now; I’m tired. The worst is over and I can lay 
the rest of the things out of the trunk on the bed. 
Then the trunk can be taken down the next time the 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 59 

men come up with a load. Perhaps that's why the 
other girls did that way.” 

“Perhaps.” 

“Wait till I fix up a little. We have lots to learn, 
I* guess.” 

“My, I think so! There are loads of things that 
I ought to have brought to make the room look 
nice, and then I'm going to find a chest something 
like yours if I can, or maybe Mother will send me 
on,e,” continued Cathalina who remembered that 
she was not to have or appear to have much money. 

“Mm-hm,” came Hilary's muffled assent as she 
slipped into a fresh cool dress. 

The girls explored the front hall downstairs, 
glancing from side to side and peeping into the two 
large reception rooms which occupied the entire 
front. At the end of the long corridor, a wide win¬ 
dow looked out upon Grey cliff Wood, into which 
a pretty path opened and disappeared, lost to view 
among the trees and bushes. The lake was dimly 
seen at the right, and at their left the rising ground 
and wooded hills which extended back of Greycliff 
Hall. A door was near this window, and a short 
flight of steps to the ground. As the girls started 
down the steps, two attactive girls stood up politely 
to let them pass. One, looking a second time at 


60 CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 

Hilary, exclaimed, “Why, isn’t this Hilary Lan¬ 
caster?” 

“Indeed it is.” 

“Don’t you remember me—Grace Barnard?” At 
your aunt’s not long ago.” 

“O, yes!—at that picnic! How funny! Did you 
know you were coming here then?” 

“Yes, this is my third year here, but I did not 
dream of your coming!” 

“The funny thing is that I did not mention Grey- 
cliff. I was so full of it that I thought I was never 
with anybody five minutes without speaking of it. 
But did Aunt Hilary know that you are a Greycliff 
girl?” 

“No; I’ve only just met your aunt.” 

“My, to think what I missed knowing about Grey¬ 
cliff besides looking forward to having somebody I 
knew here!” 

Cathalina and the other girl had been exchanging 
amused glances and now introductions became gen¬ 
eral. 

“This is my roommate,” said Hilary, “Cathalina 
Van Buskirk, from New York.” 

“And this is my friend, Eloise Winthrop,” re¬ 
turned Grace. “ I hope she is going to get into our 
suite this year, but it isn’t decided yet.” 

“We are just exploring,” said Hilary. “I was 
tired of unpacking.” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


61 


“Come on, then, we’ll go with you if you don’t 
mind. There is hardly time before luncheon to take 
you through the grove or down to the beach, but 
we can look around a little/* 

The girls paired off, Grace with Hilary, Eloise 
with Cathalina, arm in arm. Eloise’s heavy, dark 
hair was braided about her head and crowned with 
a bright scarlet bow. Her face was full of anima¬ 
tion and her light, active figure was a match for 
Cathalina’s grace, but Eloise had the suppressed 
energy and nervous force that Cathalina seemed to 
have lost. As she talked to Cathalina she frequently 
turned to look at her with a pair of starry brown 
eyes which quite stirred Cathalina into a lively en¬ 
joyment of her present adventures. 

Crossing the lawn in front, they stopped a mo¬ 
ment at the fountain where two plump cupids were 
catching water in a sea shell. 

“That building so close to Greycliff Hall is Ran¬ 
dolph Hall,” explained Grace, as they strolled by. 
“It was named in honor of Miss Randolph’s uncle, 
because he gave a lot of money to endow the school. 
Almost all the recitation rooms are there, and the 
hall where we have chapel and other doings. Over 
there is the Gym and the Domestic Science build¬ 
ing. And there are the stables and riding pavilion.’* 
“Come around by Randolph,” said Eloise, “if you 
’want to see the rest. The Music Hall is only a 


62 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


frame building and they are trying to raise money 
for a better one. But we have a fine pipe organ 
in Randolph. The studios are all prettily furnished 
and they have good pianos. I’m practicing on a 
fright, though. And a girl right over my head, with 
the same practice hour, keeps time with her foot—or 
did last year. I’m going to speak for a different 
piano this time. Look over to your left now. That’s 
the Pest House.” 

‘Test House!” exclaimed Cathalina, “do you 
often have contagious diseases?” 

“That is our name for the hospital. We have 
two nurses and one of them isn’t much older than 
some of the girls.” 

“That makes me think,” said Cathalina, “I notice 
that some of the girls seem so grown up, like col¬ 
lege girls.” 

“Why, you know there are two years of college 
work here. We call them Junior and Senior Colle¬ 
giate, or Junior and Senior C. I’m Junior Acad¬ 
emy, what are you?” 

“Father said Junior Academy, I think, but I’m 
not sure. I didn’t read the catalogue; it was too 
much trouble.” 

“So am I Junior Academy! cried Hilary, and 
turned inquiringly to Grace. 

“Me, too,” said she laughing, “how jolly!” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


63 


“You can usually tell the Collegiate girls, Catha* 
lina, by their looks and ways and the way they do 
their hair. Sometimes they try to be smart with us. 
As soon as there is enough money there is going to 
be a Collegiate Cottage, and a building for art, too. 
All the girls have for a studio now is a room on the 
upper floor of Greycliff Hall.” 

Cathalina looked interested. “That is one thing 
I just adore! But my father knows if I get started 
in that I will just stick around and draw and paint 
half the time. He wants to have me get outdoors 
as much as possible.” 

“My, that would be the limit,—drawing!” said 
Hilary. “Excuse me, high school slang. Father 
said I was to cut it out entirely.” 

“ ‘Cut it out ?’ ” suggested Eloise, mischievously. 

“Yes, there it is again; it doesn’t seem to be as 
much easier here as Father thought.” 

“We girls are not any too particular here/’ re¬ 
marked Grace, “but Miss Randolph says a great 
deal about it and some of us are trying to use good 
English. Our English teacher told us last year that 
‘our speech influences our thought’ and that after a 
while we will not be able to think anything but the 
slang—‘and what will you do when you want to 
associate with people of refinement ?’ she asked. She 
said we’d be embarrassed and not be able to talk 
and people would think us idiots!” 


64 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


'‘How awful!” 

“It certainly made a hit with you, Grace.” 

“Well, I should say so, and because my father 
said that if I came home and talked like my cousins, 
May and Jane, just out of college, he wasn’t going 
to let me go to school at all, but have a governess or 
something. And that would spoil all my plans!” 

Cathalina listened amazed, recalling that she had 
always had the private teaching. 

“There is Patricia West, Eloise,” said Grace. A 
young woman came out of the music building and 
walked rapidly across the campus, smiling and wav¬ 
ing her hand at the girls. 

“She is one of our instructors, Cathalina, new this 
this year. She is one of the old grads here, finished 
in one year at college by taking summer school, took 
out her M. A. last year and here she is. Everybody 
likes Patty. I had a terrible crush my first year 
here.” 

Cathalina knew only vaguely what a “crush” was, 
but said nothing. How much older Grace seemed, 
probably about sixteen. 

“I am certainly not ashamed of admiring Patty 
because she is so dear. They say that the boys are 
crazy about her, even if she does know so much. 
She has oodles of beaus.” 

Cathalina and Hilary turned to look again at the 
girl that had “oodles of beaus”, for no girl is so 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


65 


young that there is not some fascination about ro¬ 
mance. 

“What’s the use of all this, then?” and Eloise- 
waved her hands at the intellectual surroundings. 

“She likes it,” answered Grace. “I’ll bet she’s : 
been in signing up for piano now. Very likely 
she’ll teach and take several courses besides.” 

“Mercy!” murmured Cathalina. 

“It isn’t natural,” wailed Eloise in pretended grief. 
“That sort of girl ought to be homely and ab¬ 
sent-minded. Of course, she’ll be a cross teacher 
anyhow, if she does look so sweet.” 

“Almost lunch time, girls,” announced Grace, 
glancing at her wrist watch. I have to go up to 
the suite first,—can you girls find your way to the 
dining room? I promised to hunt up a new girl 
and take her down and one of our suite-mates is 
waiting for us too.” 

“I’ve been to the dining room twice,” said Catha¬ 
lina. “Don’t worry about us.” 

“Goodbye, then, till we see you later,” and Grace 
and Eloise ran swiftly across the campus toward 
Greycliff Hall. 


66 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 




CHAPTER VI. 

GREYCLIFF GIRLS. 

There were only thirty or forty girls at luncheon, 
although from the excitement and noise of arrivals 
Cathalina had been sure that the Hall was full. 
“Just wait till tonight/' said Lilian North, who ac¬ 
companied the girls to their door. “Then you’ll not 
be able to hear yourself think in the dining room.” 

Once more in the privacy of their own little 
apartment, Cathalina and Hilary began to put on 
the finishing touches to arrangement of their posses¬ 
sions and to think of coming duties. “Recitations 
begin tomorrow,” said Hilary, “and we must find out 
about the rooms and teachers and everything.” 

“I’m simply frightened to death to think of it! 
How am I ever going to get up and say anything 
before a roomful of girls and with a sharp-eyed pro¬ 
fessor looking at me. My!” 

Hilary looked at Cathalina in surprise. “Why 
should you mind so much? Are you always that 
way ?” 






CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


67 


“ ‘Always’,—why, Hilary, I never went to school 
in my life before!” 

“0,” Hilary was wondering and wanting to ask 
why and all about it. 

“That is why,” Cathalina ran on, “my work is 
so irregular. I’m ahead in some things and behind 
in others.” 

“You have had private teachers, then?” 

“Ye Si ” 

“What are you going to take?” 

V 

“First year Latin and Algebra and Senior Colle¬ 
giate Literature,” replied Cathalina, looking at a 
paper in her father’s handwriting to make sure. 
“Papa thinks that I have had enough French and 
German, because I can speak them and read the 
literature myself any time. He wants me to catch 
up in Latin and Mathematics as soon as possible.” 

“Well, you are mixed! You will recite with the 
infants in Latin and Math and with the ‘young la¬ 
dies’ in Literature. I’m a regular Junior Academy, 
of course, because IVe had two years of high school. 
But that makes you only—five, ten, thirteen hours.” 

“What are ‘hours'?” 

“Hours of recitation, you know. Latin recites 
every day, so that’s five hours a week,—Monday, 
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.” 


68 


CATHALINA AT GKEYCLIFF 


“I see; but why do you say ‘only’? My father 
said that if I had too much work I could drop Lit¬ 
erature.” 

“Why, thirteen hours is nothing!” 

“Well, if you had never been to school,” began 
Cathalina, looking almost ready to cry, “you’d think 
it was enough.” 

Hilary’s warm heart was sorry, though she had 
thought it rather “airy” for Cathalina to mention 
speaking French and German. She spoke quickly, 
“O, don’t feel bad, Cathalina, I did not mean to be 
horrid. I suppose your father knows best. I cer¬ 
tainly wish I could speak some foreign languages. 
Let’s trade. If I get ‘stuck’ in French you help me, 
and if you should have any trouble in algebra, may¬ 
be I can help you out.” 

“All right, it’s a bargain!” and Cathalina stretched 
out a little hand browned by the sun of the summer 
by the shore. 

“Then there’ll be Gym, of course,” added Hilary. 

“I’m excused from the gymnasium work and go¬ 
ing to take swimming and riding lessons. I learned 
to float this summer, was always too afraid to try 
it before.” 

“I’m going in for tennis and basketball. I'm 
crazy about basketball. But come on, let’s go to the 
beach. I can almost hear those waves calling!” 

“I hear you calling me!” sang Cathalina, as they 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


C9 


started with no further delay. If Mother Sylvia 
and Father Philip had seen their daughter as she 
raced with Hilary down the bank to the beach, 
they surely would have thought that a miracle had 
happened. Poor little Cathalina had needed “some¬ 
body to play with”. She was breathless and sat 
on the sand with color in her cheeks and panting 
from the exercise which hardly disturbed sturdy 
Hilary. A few other girls were there, too, throw¬ 
ing pebbles into the water, or wading out a short 
distance, or watching the gulls and terns through 
field glasses. Out by the breakwater, the birds were 
flying and fishing, sometimes coming quite near to 
rest on the posts by the little dock further down the 
shore. There was the boathouse, locked now; and 
fast to the dock was a handsome little launch, “Grey- 
cliff” painted on her side. 

“O-oo-oh!” exclaimed Hilary. “I just wont 
want to study at all! Boats and a launch!” 

“Don’t worry!” said a fat little girl who was sit¬ 
ting on the sand not far from Cathalina. “They 
only let us go on that at certain times.” 

“I don’t care,” sang Hilary,—“I know I’ll be in 
it some time before I die, anyhow! Do they let 
you go out in the boats?” 

“Yes, according to rules. And we have canoeing 
on the river, too, and races sometimes.” 

“Where’s the river?” 


70 


CATHALINA AT GKEYCLIFF 


“The other side of the grove from Greycliff Hall. 
Look along there and you can see where it joins the 
lake.” 

The two girls presently wandered off alone, along 
the beautiful beach, until Hilary noticed that Catha- 
lina was especially quiet, and that in their explora¬ 
tions the afternoon had slipped away. 

“Getting homesick? So’m I. We must be hun¬ 
gry. Come on; it’s a lucky thing at school that 
meals come three times a day. Mother says that 
school girls are always hungry.” 

“If Fm homesick, therefore, I’m hungry? Maybe 
I am! Anyway let’s go and see if any more girls 
have come. It seemed to me, Hilary, that some of 
those children on the beach were too young even for 
the Academy. Do you suppose they were visitors?” 

“No; that was one thing I didn’t know, and I 
thought I asked about everything there was to know 
about Greycliff. They take a few very special girls 
for the grades and have teachers for them. The cat¬ 
alogue doesn’t say anything about it because, of 
course, they don’t go in for that. How I know,— 
there was one on the train coming up and her older 
sister and I talked. She said it began by not want¬ 
ing to separate some sisters, and so there may be, 
perhaps, a dozen little girls here. I’ve been wishing 
my sister June could come. But I don’t suppose they 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 71 

could spare us both and then there would be the 
money.” 

Savory smells, with rattle of dishes and silver, 
announced to Cathalina and Hilary, as they slipped 
in by the side entrance, having taken time to walk 
through the grove, that dinner was not far off. Soon 
the gong rang, and coming from different rooms, or 
running from various directions on the campus, 
came girls tall or short, plump or slim; girls rosy 
and girls pale; girls laughing and talking, with 
arms around old chums, and girls who had just ar¬ 
rived and were depressed with the strangeness of 
it all and their loneliness in the midst of so much 
good comradeship. Smiling faces and sober ones; 
pretty summer dresses, or traveling suits; feet neatly 
dressed in low shoes or high shoes; sashes, belts; 
round necks, high necks; hair done high, hair done 
low, hair down backs in braids, or curls, with bright 
ribbons,—an endless variety might be seen among 
the buzzing company that poured in the dining room 
door and stood behind the chairs at the tables. At 
a tap of Miss Randolph’s bell, all were seated and 
remained silent when her strong, beautiful voice 
asked a blessing. Then the hum began again. 

“One couldn’t feel lonesome here,” remarked 
Hilary. 

“I almost do,” replied Cathalina. 


72 


CATHALINA AT GEEYCLIFF 


“Wait until you get started on the eats. I’m 
’most starved.” 

“Poor Hilary! O, I’m all right, but I had a pang 
thinking of Mother and Father at home.” 

“Don’t think,” advised Hilary. 

“Just look around, Hilary!” Cathalina had been 
in many large hotels, but this was different. 

At the head of the central table was Miss Ran¬ 
dolph, serene, used to all the commotion, gracefully 
entertaining a few stranded parents, who were gaz¬ 
ing around with much interest. 

Cathalina had fallen in with Lilian and Betty 
as they came in, and seeing Eloise and Grace beck¬ 
oning, all had gathered at the same table. Regular 
places, of course, could not yet be assigned. As the 
tables seated ten, only four people new to Cathalina 
and Hilary were to be introduced. Miss Middleton, 
an instructor in piano, was at the head. Very thin, 
tall and pleasant was she. Next was one of the 
“Senior C” girls, whom Miss Middleton seemed to 
know well. Then came a very small girl, Avalon 
Moore, who acknowledged the introductions shyly 
and looked as if she wanted to escape. Cathalina, 
who sat next to Avalon, in feeling sorry for her and 
trying to think of little things to relieve her embar¬ 
rassment, began to forget her own strangeness. 
The poor little girl dropped her fork, upset a glass 
of water, and in trying to take some gravy trailed 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


a plentiful supply over the side of her plate on the 
tablecloth. The whole table was sorry for her and 
she knew it, which only made things worse. 

But Eloise came to the rescue immediately with 
a question to the music teacher of such general in¬ 
terest that everybody joined in the discussion and 
allowed little Miss Moore to recover herself unno¬ 
ticed. Cathalina quietly began to talk to her about 
the school and the girls, mentioning how lost and 
homesick she had felt that morning, but how beau¬ 
tiful the place was and what nice girls she had met 
already. Avalon began to feel quite natural and 
looked at the dainty Cathalina with such admiring 
eyes that she was pleased; for among the relatives 
it was Cathalina who looked up to the older girls, 
Ann Maria, Emily or Louise. 

Another girl at the table aroused Cathalina’s in¬ 
terest. She had been introduced as Evelyn Calvert 
and came from Kentucky. There was a little differ¬ 
ence between her speech and that of Hel^n Paget, 
who was also from the South, Cathalina did not 
know from what part as yet. At first Cathalina 
thought Evelyn affected, but held her decision for 
some future time. Although Evelyn was probably 
no older than Cathalina, she had all the airs and 
graces of an older girl and, indeed, real charm with 
it all. Her long, dark lashes lifted or dropped, and 
smiles came and went as she talked. 


74 


CATHALINA AT GKEYCLIFF 


“Aunt Sue put huh hands on huh hips/’ Evelyn 
was saying to the Senior C girl across the table, 
“and said ‘Miss’ Ev’lyn, yo’ gettin’ maghty fat an* 
peart up Nawth, whut foh yo’ taken ridin’ lessons 
lak yo’ said? 

“ ‘Caint yo’ ride good nuff ?’ ‘I just ride foh the 
fun of it, Aunt Sue,’ I told huh. She was actually 
insulted to heah that I had been takin’ ridin’ lessons 
in the Nawth. ‘Why, chile/ she said, ‘de Calv’ts is 
jus’ nachelly bawn to de saddle!’ ” 

While the table was waiting for dessert, Lilian 
entertained the new girls by indicating in nods and 
glances the different girls of interest or prominence. 
She, too, called their attention to the new instructor, 
Patricia West, who sat at the next table and was 
chatting and laughing with some of the older girls. 
“That is Daisy Palmer next to Patricia,—that 
plump, red-haired girl with the sweet mouth. She 
is president of Y. W. and a splendid girl. Every¬ 
body counts on her. That tall girl with the white 
dress and blue sash is Julia Merton. She is a Junior 
Academy and will be in your classes, Hilary. She 
is a German shark.” 

“What in the world is a ‘shark’? asked Hilary. 
That is something new to me!” 

“O, knows everything about it and takes the high¬ 
est grades. The one in pink is her roommate, Mar¬ 
garet Brown. Isn’t she pretty?—the one in pale 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


75 


pink, with the real yellow hair. The other girl in 
pink is Dorothy Appleton. See her ? She is in your 
class, too.” 

At a table near, Dorothy was leaning forward, 
slender wrists braced against the edge of the table, 
while she talked earnestly to Julia Merton opposite. 
Small, white teeth, regular features, strong for a 
girl so young, and brilliant black eyes were much 
in evidence as she talked or smiled. Had Cathalina 
realized the part some of these girls would play in 
the drama of school life, she would have taken more 
pains to observe them. 

“The proud looking girl looking this way, there 
at the foot of the second table over,—well, she was 
the captain of our Sophomore basketball team last 
year, Madge Ross. She is out of athletics now, 
she says. She can’t stand it to be beaten, has a 
high temper, is awfully blunt and can’t keep a room¬ 
mate very long. I guess some new girl is going to 
have to stand it this year.” 

Dessert over, a tap on the bell brought silence 
again, and Miss Randolph rose to make a few an¬ 
nouncements and read important notices. One was 
passed to her as she stood there. There was little 
of the scene that Hilary or Cathalina missed. 

“Let me repeat the announcement that schedules 
of studies, hours of recitation, rooms and teachers, 
will be found in the registrar’s office on the first 


76 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


floor, and posted also in the corridors. Miss Far¬ 
rell's office hours are posted at the door. 

“Chapel will be held tomorrow morning at Ran¬ 
dolph Hall, the building next to this. All the young 
ladies,—pupils of any age—are expected to be pres¬ 
ent. 

“The Y. W. C. A. cabinet is asked to meet in the 
parlor immediately. 

“I desire to meet all the new girls as soon as pos¬ 
sible. You may come to the library of this building, 
not of Randolph.” 

“I’m just limp!” Cathalina remarked as at nine 
o’clock she sat braiding her locks for the night and 
wishing in the depths of her tired little soul for 
Etta to come and get her ready for bed. “That 
poor little Avalon Moore stuck to me as if I were 
her last friend. I loved to help her, but I knew so 
little myself. You were a dear, Hilary, to take hold 
and find her room and roommate for her.” 

“O, I’m used to towing people around,” said 
Hilary, smiling broadly. “You remember that I’m 
a minister’s daughter! We’ll get up early tomorrow, 
wont we? and write home. I’m too tired now, 
aren’t you? Hasn’t it been a day of it?” 

“Well, I think so! It seems a week since Papa 
left this morning. Can you remember the name of 
all the girls we’ve met?” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


77 


“Mercy, no!” cried Hilary. “At this minute I 
can’t even remember the name of the Pink Kimono 
next door!” 

“That is because we called her that first, I sup¬ 
pose; Lilian,—Lilian,—” 

“North,” announced Hilary in triumph. But the 
lot of ’em we met after dinner!” 

“This is only the first day, remember.” 

“But I can’t help feeling the way we do when we 
go to a new place, that we must remember every¬ 
body.” 

“Why?” 

“O, people feel hurt, you know—that’s one of our 
jobs, to get acquainted.” 

“Our minister’s been in our church twenty-five 
years and almost belongs to our family, we think. 
He married Mamma and Papa and baptized us chil¬ 
dren, so we think everything of him and his wife, 
too.” 

“Twenty-five years! We usually stay four or five 
years. I like to move around, but Mother doesn’t. 
If she has a nice parsonage she would certainly like 
the twenty-five year plan!” 

Cathalina yawned, shook off her slippers and 
hopped into bed. 

“I just set my new alarm clock for five o’clock, 
Cathalina; are you game?” 


78 CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 

“I am,” said Cathalina firmly, though never in 
her life had she risen at the call of an alarm clock. 

A faint sound of splashing waves on the lake shore 
came through the open windows to the drowsy girls; 
while a soft breeze stirred the straying locks about 
Cathalina’s contented face and brought happy 
dreams to Hilary. 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


79 


CHAPTER VII. 
cathalina’s first recitation 

A terrible sound wakened Cathalina and she 
sprang out of bed. “Brr-rr-rr-ting-a-ling-a-ting- 
ting-ting!” She found herself shaking behind her 
bed and realized that the alarm clock, not far from 
Hilary’s head, was the source of the racket. 

‘‘For pity’s sake!—Hilary!” cried Cathalina. 

Hilary turned and threw her arms out over the 
spread. 

“Hilary! Wake up! I don’t know how to stop 
the old thing!” 

One eye opened. Hilary slowly sat up and looked 
in dazed fashion at Cathalina who was back in bed, 
laughing with her fingers in her ears. “Please stop 
it, Hilary.” 

“It’s the intermittent kind,” said Hilary sleepily, 
and as if to prove her words the noise stopped for 
a moment, only to resume operations with renewed 
vigor. Hilary reached for the clock and turned 
off the alarm. 

“And you never even wakened!” 


80 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


A little later, two new fountain pens were busily 
scratching away at the first letters home. This was 
Hilary’s: 

Dearest Mother and Father : 

Just a few lines before breakfast to tell you that 
I arrived safe and sound and am pretty well settled. 
Miss Randolph has put me in a lovely suite looking 
on the lake, with a sweet roommate, too, (Gordon 
will groan at that pun, I suppose),—-Cathalina Van 
Buskirk, from New York. I suppose she belongs 
to one of those old Dutch families. I heard her men¬ 
tion “Aunt Knickerbocker” and Somebody Van 
Ness. I think she is about my age, perhaps a little 
younger. She has blue eyes, and light brown hair 
and is very pretty. You would call her very much 
of a lady and I’m sure we shall get along. She has 
never been to school before and dreads to recite 
with the other girls. 

My trip did not have any startling happenings. 
I felt so fine in my new suit and with that elegant 
traveling bag Father gave me, and I did enjoy the 
cooler air as we came near the lake. It is perfectly 
great here! I wish you all could come too. I 
shall write more later and may send a note to Aunt 
Hilary today. 

Recitations begin today. I will tell you about 
them and send you my schedule, so you can pin it up, 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


81 


as you said, and know what I am doing almost 
every hour. 

Thank you all so much for everything. Give my 
love to June, Gordon and Tommy, and hug my little 
Mary for her old Hilary! Tell June that I'll write 
her very soon. The breakfast bells—gong—will 
ring in a minute, so goodbye for this time. 

Your loving and grateful 

Hilary. 

P. S. 

We met a lot of girls and roamed all over the 
place yesterday. Miss Randolph is not what I im¬ 
agined a preceptress, or dean would be, tall, stately 
and commanding. I rather guess she could be com¬ 
manding, though. She is nice to everybody now 
and has a beautiful voice and quite an “air” about 
her, if she isn't very tall. 

H. 

Cathalina’s letter ran thus: 

My dear Mother: 

As I told my roommate (Hilary Lancaster), last 
night, it seems a week since Father said goodbye 
yesterday morning. But I have not spent the time 
in tears as I know he was afraid I would. Tell 
him that his military salute had the effect. And 
really from the first Tve been too busy to cry or 
be very homesick. I unpacked and then the girls 


82 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


kept coming from the trains, and Miss Randolph 
handed over to me such a nice roommate, and there 
were so many things to do and see that nobody 
could help getting interested. Hilary is the daughter 
of a minister and so smart, can do anything, I guess. 
I believe Miss Randolph did take pains to select my 
roommate. She said “Hilary is a fine girl”. I am 
sure she had never met her before, so how could 
she tell? 

We have met ever so many girls of all sorts. Wait 
till I have time to write you a decent letter and tell 
about the Pink Kimono and the fudge, the fat little 
girl that I met by the lake and the homesick one 
that thought I was an “old girl” and wept on my 
shoulders. She little knew how much I felt like 
joining with those that weep! I am still scared at 
the thought of reciting with the rest tomorrow, but 
I’ll hope for the best, as Ann Maria says when she 
hasn’t looked at her lesson! 

Don’t worry about me a moment. I remember 
those last dear days at home (here Cathalina had 
to stop and swallow a lump in her throat), and how 
you all tried to get me used to the idea of coming 
away. I’ll do my best to grow strong and keep 
busy, and I think now that it’s going to be “great 
fun”, as Phil says. I feel better and sort of stirred 
up already. There is the gong for breakfast and 


CATHALINA AT GKEYCLIFF 


83 


I’m actually hungry. We got up early and looked up 
our school things. Love to you all. 

Your very loving daughter, 

Cathalina. 


When Cathalina’s letter was received it was eager¬ 
ly opened. With what relief did Mr. and Mrs. Van 
Buskirk catch the new note in Cathalina’s message. 
Sylvia, to whom the house had been a lonely place 
without her little girl, finally dissolved into tears 
and sobbed a little on Philip’s shoulder; while he, 
who hated tears as men do, nevertheless comforted 
her and let her have it out. 

The busy pastor of Glenwood, with his wife, quite 
as eagerly read the brief letter from their daughter, 
the first of their flock to leave home for any length 
of time. And at family prayers that night a strong 
petition went up for the “dear child among strangers 
and the sweet girl with her” . . . “Keep them, 
O Lord, and give Thy angels charge over them, 
and may Thy truth be their shield and buckler!” 

Meanwhile, the two girls, in their neat school 
dresses, made ready for their first class. Hilary, 
capable and serious, took notebook and pencil. 
Cathalina, who hardly knew how to prepare, fol¬ 
lowed her example. “I’m a great hand,” said 
Hilary, “to jot everything down and then 
I know just what to do.” They had consulted the 


84 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


schedule of hours and rooms the night before and 
had made out their lists with the name of each 
teacher. 

“Number seventeen, Randolph,” mused Cathalina, 
“for Latin, and number fifteen for algebra. How 
shall I ever find out about everything. I envy the 
old girls. They needn't waste so much time asking 
questions and wandering around.” 

“O, we’ll be old girls next year,” said Hilary. 
“Let’s take the elevator down. It’s on the side next 
Randolph and near the covered way.” 

Cathalina soon found herself, with about twenty 
other girls, entering a pleasant recitation room, at 
whose desk sat an intellectual looking woman of 
early middle age. 

“My, she looks awful,” thought Cathalina, and 
glanced at her schedule again. “Prof. Emmeline 
Carver, M.A., Ph.D!” 

In hushed silence the class sat waiting, most of 
them new, first year girls, scared and awed. To 
everybody’s relief, Dr. Carver spoke pleasantly, if 
a bit stiffly, gave the name of the text book and 
directed the class to the front hall where a supply 
of the books was on sale. With the assignment of a 
lesson and a few general remarks on the importance 
of their Latin course, she then dismissed them. 

As the girls escaped, for that seemed to be the 
general feeling, one of them near Cathalina drew 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


85 


a long breath and said, Doctor Carver. I don’t like 
her looks. I bet she carves us up, all rightee. They 
say what she doesn’t know about Latin and Greek 
and German isn’t worth knowing, but O my! Let 
me get my book and get to work!” 

“Nonsense!” thought Cathalina. “I don’t believe 
she is so bad. She looks intelligent and interesting, 
as Mother would say. If she is too awful I’ll talk 
it over with Miss Randolph. She wont let me be 
actually slaughtered!” Cathalina almost giggled 
aloud at the application of Dr. Carver’s name. “Old 
Carver,” Diane called her this morning, and I 
thought her so disrespectful and not at all refined. 
I wonder what Hilary will think of her in Cicero.” 

At the algebra class Cathalina met Professor 
Goodman and liked him at once. He was a schol¬ 
arly, kind-looking man, with a keen eye and a brisk 
manner. With his family he lived at Grey cliff 
Heights. 

“No real recitations today,” reported Cathalina 
to Hilary. 

“Same here. Pretty nice place so far, isn’t it?” 

Cathalina laughed. “Yes, but I feel the sword 
hanging over me.” 

“Nonsense! Honestly you won’t mind it.” 

“With such speeches from Hilary, Cathalina kept 
up her courage until the hour arrived and she walked 
in to the class in beginning Latin, feeling much as 


86 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


the old martyrs must have felt when they were led 
to the stake. Both girls had put every spare minute 
on their lessons, bravely refusing all invitations to 
visit lake or campus, or to explore the many as yet 
unknown delights of Greycliff. Experienced Hilary 
had said, “ There’s a good deal in the way you begin, 
whether it’s a game or a lesson.” So Cathalina 
puzzled over the rather uninteresting introductions 
of her text books. Latin promised well, since she 
had already studied other tongues than English, 
but she had a terrible time committing the rules of 
quantity. Algebra, as she told Hilary, looked like 
a Chinese puzzle. 

“Thank fortune, the V’s are toward the end of the 
alphabet!” she thought, as she was assigned a seat 
in the back row. “I won’t have the rest of the 
class staring at me when I recite.” 

“Miss Van Buskirk, you may explain what we 
mean by quantity in Latin and give the rules.” Miss 
Carver looked up from the roll from which she was 
calling upon the as yet unknown quantities of her 
class. 

Cathalina was frighetned, but rose mechanically, 
and to her own amazement, her mind cleared, she 
met calmly the fierce glare of Miss Carver’s specta¬ 
cles and words began to come. 

“Louder, please, this is not a drawing room con¬ 
versation,” came the sarcastic tones as Dr. Carver’s 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


87 


lips curved into an unpleasant smile. Cathalina’s 
voice rose, and her repressed ire gave her just enough 
self-possession to sail through the rules without a 
break, after which she sat down, quivering but tri¬ 
umphant. 

“You are not through, Miss Van Buskirk. That 
was a good exhibition of memory, but have you any 
idea of the meaning of the rules ?” 

Cathalina rose again. “I was hoping that you 
would explain/’ she said meekly. “I understand a 
little.” 

That was a better shot than Cathalina knew, for 
Dr. Carver was not particularly clear or helpful in 
explanation, but wonderfully pompous in making 
demands upon the class. By the time the class was 
dismissed its members were in various stages of 
nervous prostration, as one of the girls told it, but 
strange to say, Cathalina’s fear was gone. 

When Hilary came into the suite before lunch, 
Cathalina was curled up on the bed working on al¬ 
gebra. “How did Cicero go ?” she asked demurely. 

“My! the dear doctor slaughtered ’em right and 
left. She’s a new variety, as the vegetable cata¬ 
logues say. There’ll be great fun. I see you’re 
still alive.” 

“Fun ! I don’t like to be made angry. It keeps 
me from learning. I wish there were another class 


88 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


to somebody else! My other teachers are fine,— 
human !” 

“Isn’t it funny that Miss Randolph has anybody 
like that? It’s hard enough to be a lady anyhow, 
without an example like that in the school room!” 

“If the girls were disrespectful or anything there’d 
be some excuse. I never heard anybody talk like 
that.” 

“Rap-rap-rap.” 

“Come in,” called Hilary, running out to the 
sitting-room door. Half a dozen girls came in. 

“Welcome, merry sunshine!” said Hilary with her 
best bow. “You look like a church committee. What 
does this mean?” 

“Council of war,” answered Eloise, her eyes flash¬ 
ing. “Do you want to join?” 

“Mercy!” said Cathalina appearing in the door. 
“What side are you on, Germany or the Allies?” 

“No need to ask, under this flag,” and Eloise 
struck an attitude, pointing to Old Glory floating 
from the flag pole on the front of the campus. “But 
whatever we are we are on the war path! Little 
children are safe, however, so don’t worry.” (These 
were the days of the first shocks and surprises of the 
World War.) 

“How are you getting along, Cathalina,” asked 
Lilian, who knew how Cathalina felt about going 
to recitation. 


CATHALINA AT GKEYCLIFF 


89 


“Fine,” answered Cathalina. “After my first reci¬ 
tation, which I came through whole, in spite of Dr. 
Carver, I haven’t minded anything.” 

“That is right to the point,” said Grace. “It 
has occurred to us that we might do something to 
improve her state of mind a little, as it were.” 

“Humph!” Diane exclaimed. “I’m clear mad 
through and through! Just her air is enough, be¬ 
fore she gets off any of that brilliant sarcasm! I 
declare war here and now!” 

Hilary looked distressed. “I’m afraid it isn’t 
right, girls, to feel that way, though I will admit 
she’s the worst I ever saw. What is the matter? 
Has she been here long?” 

“No indeed! This is her first year and I hope 
her last. You ought to have heard her in Virgil to¬ 
day. What did you think of the way she talked to 
me, Eloise?” 

“I was mad for you; I just wanted to go right 
up and slap that woman!” 

“Look out, Eloise, your eyes will light the gas!” 

Eloise laughed but kept on. “Diane had a good 
lesson. All of us had been working our heads off. 
Any Latin is bad enough, but poetry! You couldn’t 
find a subject to some of the sentences, you know. 
Well, I guess Dr. Carver wanted to show off how 
much she knew instead of helping us, so she picked 
out something—I’ve forgotten what it was,—and 


90 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


made so much to do about it, and ridiculed Diane 
and told her it was a pity she hadn't learned that 
in first year Latin, as if we can remember every old 
gender or form!” 

“I know I’m going to like Latin,” said Cathalina, 
“but how I’m going to like her even a little bit is 
more than I can see. But I suppose you don’t abso¬ 
lutely have to like all your teachers, do you?” 

“It makes it much nicer,” said Hilary, “and I 
suppose teachers do have a hard life!” The girls 
laughed at Hilary’s serious tone. 

“Never mind, Hilary,—you’re a preacher’s daugh¬ 
ter, so we won’t ask you to do anything. We aren’t 
going to do much ourselves, only stir her up a little 
and have some fun. Promise, now, girls, that you 
won’t tell, or be surpirsed at anything, or give any¬ 
body a hint?” 

“Never!” promised both Hilary and Cathalina, 
smiling broadly. 

“Then watch and wait for developments!” and 
the six girls filed out. 

“What do you suppose they’ll do, Hilary?” Catha¬ 
lina looked excited and interested. 

“Haven’t the least idea. Maybe it will all fall 
through. Girls are like that sometimes.” 

“Not these girls. They have been here, you know, 
and can think of things. Ann Maria is like that, 
into all the fun going on.” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


91 


“Who is Ann Maria,—cute name.” 

“She is my cousin, about my brother’s age and 
has been to boarding school for several years, in 
the East. You ought to hear her and my brother 
tell about their schools! Well, we shall see—” 
“What we shall see!” finished Hilary. 


92 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER VIII. 

CONSPIRATORS. 

Suite No. 59 was “seething with conspiracy’’, as 
Betty Barnes declared. “No, thank you, I haven’t 
time to come in, or to be a Catiline.” Upon which 
Virginia Morris, also of the Cicero class, appro¬ 
priately cried, “How long, O Carver, will you abuse 
our patience?” 

“O tempora, O mores!” added Lilian North. 

“Mercy, Lil, you don’t mean to say you remem¬ 
ber that!” 

“Only that. I recognized it when I found it. It 
is a pet expression of my father’s. Why didn’t you 
ask Hilary to come in?” 

“Nothing doing,” replied slangy little Isabel 
Hunt. She it was whom Cathalina had seen as the 
small cyclone whirling past on that first day. 
“Hilary wouldn’t do it.” 

“We’re not going to do anything bad,” said 
Eloise. 

“No, but I think her little conscience would hurt 
her.” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


93 


“And why not Cathalina, then?” 

“O, she’s too high and mighty, and besides she’s 
only in the beginning Latin class.” 

“So are you,” Eloise and Lilian, who were high- 
minded girls, did not much relish the implication 
that Hilary and Cathalina would not consider this 
an exactly noble undertaking. 

Isabel laughed. “That’s so, but I am a ‘bold 
spirit, my hearties’!” 

“Well, what are we going to do?” asked Lilian. 

Diane pretended to tear her hair. 

“I’ve thought of several schemes that we might 
try, nothing very smart, but she’s new here and we 
might have some fun out of it.” This was from Vir¬ 
ginia. So with gigglings and whisperings and put¬ 
ting together of heads bright and mischievous, they 
laid their plans for a trick or two. 

‘Til be on hand,” said Isabel, “if it takes days, 
because we want to try this first, as it, ladies and 
gentlemen, is the one which will do us the most 
good. And now it all depends on a closed door!” 

“It does,” replied Virginia, with which mysteri¬ 
ous saying, all the conspirators save the hostesses 
took their departure. 

For several days after this meeting, about ten 
minutes before the time for the Cicero class, Isabel 
Hunt, books under her arm, as if on her way to 
some class, would stroll carelessly by Dr. Carver’s 


94 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


door. At last there came a day when it was closed. 
Turning, Isabel waved wildly at Diane, who was 
also coming early and was just within the outside 
door at the end of the hall in “Randolph,” first 
floor. 

“I saw her there,” returned Diane, also whisper¬ 
ing, “went by on purpose. Now if she’ll just forget 
to look at her watch and only keep her nose in 
her book! The electric bell hasn’t been working for 
a day or two, so she’ll not be reminded.” 

They waited a few minutes, then Isabel slipped 
up to the door and with two or three “stickers,” 
hastily pasted up a notice which she had been car¬ 
rying for days. 

NO CICERO TODAY 
ADVANCED LESSON OF 
TEN LINES 

“Now you go up front,” said Isabel, “and head 
’em off there. Tell ’em notice up, no lesson today. 

“I’ll stay to watch her and catch ’em from upstairs, 
and the outside door. She’ll never suspect me if 
she does come out an’ spoil it all, ‘cause I’m not in 
the class.’ 

“She might think we’d had you put the notice up. 
Ten lines looks a little suspicious, doesn’t it?” 

“Yes, because she would give at least thirty, 
Grace said, but the class wouldn’t get any good of it 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


95 


if they had to get a whole lesson, and after all this 
trouble l” 

‘‘Well, don't let anybody get by you to try the 
door,—by mistake, of course; nobody would want 
tor 

“Sh-sh!” warned Isabel, “go along.” 

The girls began to arrive for class, one or two 
at a time at first. Fortunately for the scheme the 
Latin room was at a corner of the building, where 
the noise of the dismissal of classes was least, and 
the learned Doctor was very absent-minded. 

The sound of the last bell had died away. Isabel 
and Grace kept count and knew that the last Cicero 
girl had come and gone, those who did not under¬ 
stand with thankful, smiling looks and no disposi¬ 
tion to go to the door to view the notice more close¬ 
ly, and those who were in the plan with careful tip¬ 
toeing and looks of joy. 

Grace whisked up the stairs in the front of the 
building, and Isabel up the back stairs, there to meet 
and giggle, as Dr. Carver at last opened her door 
and came out in perplexed surprise. She looked up 
and down the hall, and even went out to the front 
entrance. Then coming back, she saw the notice. 
Isabel, who had been leaning over the bannister to 
see Dr. Carver’s movements, backed away into 
Grace’s arms with a suppressed shriek. “I wish 
you had seen her face when she caught sight of that 


96 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


notice! She’ll finish all of us tomorrow sure! Let's 
pass the word around to have perfect lessons!” 

Grace took a peep, but turning hastily, caught 
Isabel’s arm. “Hurry, she’s coming up!” Up the 
second flight to the third story they tiptoed, right 
over the angry Doctor’s head, and thankful they 
were that she was fat and slow. 

“Come on; we’ll be in the library reading, and not 
together.” 

“Not I,” said Grace, “I’m going to be safe in my 
little room over at Greycliff Hall. Watch me get 
down the front stairs!” 

The next day faces of great innocence met Dr. 
Carver’s shrewd looks. After marking her roll, 
she made a few sarcastic remarks about pupils who 
had nothing better to do than play tricks. “It is 
an evidence of low order of intellect,” said she. 
More than once she looked sternly at one of the 
girls who was a gay little thing and rarely had her 
lessons, but was entirely innocent of any part in 
this. 

“If I did not know that this class is not capable 
of getting even the usual number of lines, and that 
I would punish the innocent with the guilty, I would 
give you a double lesson for tomorrow. But for the 
present we shall let it go. After this, when you see 
a notice on a teacher’s door take the trouble to try 
the door and see if the notice has been put up by 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


97 


authority. Under similar circumstances, hereafter, 
each pupil will receive a zero for the recitation 
missed. And let me remark that if any of you are 
interested in passing the course, you can ill afford to 
have a zero included among grades that are none 
too high as it is!” 

And the Cicero class surely had reason to squirm 
that day. No matter how fine the reading, Dr. Car¬ 
ver asked the most unheard of questions (accord¬ 
ing to their story), and pushed the discussions of 
subjunctives until, as Eloise said afterward, they 
all knew that they had never even heard anything 
before about a Latin verb, let alone understanding 
it! Ordinarily Eloise and Hilary were ready for 
the questions on syntax, but today they only shook 
their heads at the rapid fire of questions put in the 
“scientific” foreign fashion of making everything 
as profound and obscure as possible. With dazed 
eyes they watched the satisfied way in which the 
offended Doctor of Philosophy recorded grades 
after their efforts to recite, “zeros at most,” said 
Eloise, “and no doubt she had invented something 
lower, maybe a zero minus.” 

All was quiet for several days. Then Isabel met 
Helen Paget in the corridor one morning and whis¬ 
pered, “Pm ready to be offered up again,—two acts 
at once this time!” She burst into No. 52, where 
Hilary was in the midst of a theorem, with. 


98 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


“Where’s Cathalina? I’ve got to see her! ,, 

“I think that she took her books down to the 
rocks. She said that Childe Harold’s address to 
the ocean would sound better down there. 

“What’s she reading that for?” 

“Collateral in Lit.” 

“My, does she take that”—and Isabel was gone. 

Five minutes later a flying figure reached and 
scrambled over the rocks to a high point where 
Cathalina was sitting and gazing dreamily out over 
the lake. Her bright hair was blowing about in a 
fresh lake breeze, her grey-blue sweater buttoned 
tightly around her. Once arrived, Isabel was in no 
hurry to explain her object and stood like a rosy 
bird, balancing on a rock, her hands in the pocket 
of her sweater, which was red. “Cooler, isn’t it?” 
she remarked. 

Now Cathalina had not fancied Isabel very much. 
Isabel’s slangy speech and pert ways did not at¬ 
tract her, though she tried to be friendly to the 
little girl. To tell the truth, Cathalina’s inclinations 
were not of the sort that admitted readily a number 
of girls to intimacy. That fact was of course a pro¬ 
tection to her, but also kept off for a time at least, 
some of the girls who were worth knowing. Hilary 
at this time had the better attitude for girls’ school,— 
helpful, kind and pleasant to every one, yet Inde¬ 
pendent, fearless on matters of right and wrong, 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


99 


and confiding her private affairs chiefly to that best 
of confidents, her mother. 

“Will you save my life, Cathalina?” asked Isabel 
brightly, as she sat down on a convenient rock at 
Cathalina’s feet. She secretly admired Cathalina 
very much and wished that she could be like her. 
She also felt Cathalina’s disapproval of her rough 
ways, but from some spirit of perverseness, was 
moved to be a little worse than usual when in Cath¬ 
alina’s presence. This afternoon, however, a differ¬ 
ent spirit established itself. Isabel’s artistic eye 
and spiritual sense were touched by something “an¬ 
gelic”, as she called it, about Cathalina’s serious 
face and dreamy expression, while Cathalina thought 
that she had never known Isabel so sensible and 
sweet. 

“How can I ‘save your life’, Isabel?” asked Cath¬ 
alina at last, remembering Isabel’s greeting which 
had been forgotten in the talk which followed. 

Mischief came back into Isabel’s eyes. “You are 
not taking German are you?” 

“No.” 

“Does anybody but Hilary and a few of us know 
that you can speak it?” 

“No.” 

“Can you write it?” 

“Yes,” and Cathalina was laughing by this time. 


100 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


“I can’t say that I’m proud of it now. I d rather 
remember my French.” 

“Well, this is the scheme. We want to get Dr. 
Carver out of her room a few minutes before Virgil 
begins, and after she has unlocked her door, of 
course. Virgil comes after lunch, you know. Some 
one of the class will put a note on her desk, without 
being seen, if possible. If she is seen and reported 
she won’t really know anything about it, for it will 
be handed her in the hall and we are going to pass 
it through several hands to some one who doesn’t 
know anything about our doings!” Isabel giggled. 
"“We want to pretend the note comes from the Ger¬ 
man professor, just for fun. One of the girls has 
his initials, so it wont be ‘forgery’ for her to sign 
them to the note. Now will you write the script for 
us?” 

“Why don’t you write plain English?” 

“O she’d get on to the writing, and besides she’ll 
feel complimented at first sight. Patricia says she 
reads all those awful German books about Latin! 
She’ll take the note to him and they’ll laugh about 
it, that’s all. And we’ll have time to put our little 
present on her desk!” 

If the truth were told, some of the girls hoped, 
to embarrass their victim in some way and get even 
for the times when she had so seriously embarrassed 
them in class. Isabel did not know this, though if 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


101 


she had it would probably have made no difference; 
for Isabel was not given to thinking about conse¬ 
quences ! 

“Please do it, Cathalina?” Isabel looked very 
pretty, pushing back her short, curly locks as she 
wheedled Cathalina. 

“O, all right,—depends upon what you want me 
to say. I won’t tell any ‘whoppers’. See me tonight 
before study hours.” 

Isabel went off jubilant. “She’ll do it, girls, 
but we’ll have to fix it up all right, because Cath¬ 
alina isn't the kind of a girl that will write just 
anything.” 

“Make it short and snappy,” said Diane, “like 
this: ‘Dear Fraulein Carver—May I see you in the 
library a few minutes before class ? Yours, E. F. S/ 
—or something like that,—however Cathalina 
wants it.” 

As this seemed harmless enough, and none of the 
girls seemed to realize the fact of deception, Cath¬ 
alina wrote the message in German script and Ellen 
F. Smith signed her initials, going into the library 
to “keep the date with our ‘beloved teacher'.” Lilian 
who was in the Virgil class, succeeded in placing the 
note on the desk while Dr. Carver stood near the 
door conferring with one of the other girls. Then 
Lilian slipped back into the hall to notify the girl 
who stood in a retired corner with a cunning gray 


102 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


kitten, its throat tied with a pretty blue ribbon, 
from which dangled a card. The girls had spent 
some time thinking over what to put on the card, 
the most spiteful suggestion being “TO A CAT”. 
“Be Good To Me; I’m Young,” was Eloise’s idea, 
but they finally decided to say, “If you don’t like 
girls, maybe you like kittens,” and one of the girls 
had spoiled a dozen cards or more in writing it ar¬ 
tistically. 

Cathalina had been worried over the kitten part 
of the performance and made the girls solemnly 
promise that they would prop open a crack in the 
cover of the old-fashioned desk. 

“Don’t worry, Cathalina, we aren’t cruel,” said 
Diane, pretending to be offended. 

“O, I know that, Diane!” 

The class, as usual, was gathering in the back 
part of the room, near the windows, in little groups, 
some listening while a good student read the hard 
passages to them. There was then, no difficulty in 
placing the kitten without notice. And when, after 
a little, a scratching and mewing began, the last bell 
rang, and Dr. Carver came in radiant. She lo¬ 
cated the cat instantly, while the girls were taking 
their regular places, held it up with a sarcastic smile 
in full view of the class, an unsmiling company, car¬ 
ried the meek animal to the door, dropped it in the 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


103 


hall and shut the door with more of a bang, doubt¬ 
less, than she had intended. 

That was all there was of incident, and Dr. Car¬ 
ver was so absent-minded, letting one recitation 
after another pass without comment or correction, 
that the girls dared to let their own minds wander 
from the text long enough to wonder what was the 
the matter. 

“Cat and all and the Doctor scarcely mad!” Lilian 
whispered as the class left the room. 

“She didn’t even read the card!” 

“She must have had a legacy or something.” 

“Perhaps a letter from her lover.” 

“Lover! Her!” was the reply to this, ungram¬ 
matical but vigorous. 

“I wish he’d write oftener, then!” 

Later, from suite 52, where the arch conspirators 
had assembled, came shrieks of laughter. Isabel was 
one who could appreciate a joke even on herself. 
“Honestly, girls, it was the funniest thing I ever 
saw. She was like a different woman. I sat by the 
table, reading, of course, and only Ellen and two 
other girls were in there. And just as the first bell 
rang, who should come in but Der Herr Professor! 
You know how he looks, all frowzy and wild, with 
his spectacles and that high collar! Well, he went 
over to the German alcove and began to pull out the 
books in a hurry. Presto, appeared Dr. Carver, 


104 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


and bless you, didn’t he start toward her all beam¬ 
ing and nodding, with his hands full of books! 

“My dear Doctor Garver,”—here some of the girls 
nearly doubled up at Isabel’s imitation (she was 
taking expression”). “ ‘I have found dose texts 
ve vere gommenting on last night.’ Then they went 
on with such a spiel as you never heard! Dr. Carver 
looked real human, you know, and the old Dutch¬ 
man—’scuse me, Cathalina, also your Holland an¬ 
cestors,— Deutchman > — looked at her as if she was 
the only understanding soul he’d met since he 
landed.” 

“Very likely she is,” remarked Hilary. 

“I need not have worried. They never even saw 
me there! I wish you had seen her coquettish look 
as she flirted out of the room when the second gong 
rang.” Isabel adjusted an imaginary pair of glasses 
and looked over her shoulder. “ ‘So kind of you, 
Professor Schafer.’ It was a shame for Ellen and 
me to enjoy it all to ourselves!” 

“So your jokes kind of fell flat?” asked Hilary 
with a mischievous look. 

“Yes,” answered Isabel, “after all our trouble 
to find that kitten, and me coaxin’ Cathalina half a 
day more or less!” 

“But maybe we’ve started a real romance,” sug¬ 
gested Eloise. 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


ii)5 

‘'What did you do with the kitty?” asked Cath- 
alina. 

"It’s all right. Dotty Banks, one of the little 
girls, was to watch for it and take it back if neces¬ 
sary, and she showed me a long fresh scratch it 
gave her, so I guess she caught it all right!” 

“Fm glad it turned out as it did,” said Cathalina 
later, as she and Hilary were at their lessons. “We 
aren’t allowed to play practical jokes at home. If 
it had—a—mortified her at all. I’d have felt guilty, 
although,” and here Cathalina’s lips set firmly a 
moment,—“she deserves ’most anything for the way 
she does in class.” 

“Father says that when we try to pay back it 
hurts us the worst,” replied Hilary. “I’m not 
preaching, please, but such pranks take a lot of 
time and aren’t so very smart or funny in the end. 
Let’s try to keep out of them. If you could get 
hold of Isabel, Cathalina, you would do her a lot 
of good. She and Avalon just about worship you.” 


106 CATHALIKA AT GREYCLIFF 

♦ 


CHAPTER IX. 

GOSSIP. 

As the days went by, Cathalina became accus¬ 
tomed to her new surroundings and the school rou¬ 
tine, with the stimulating life in the midst of much 
young companionship. Yet no one knew just what 
it cost her to overcome her timidity. She was, to be 
sure, not the only young girl at Greycliff who was 
learning lessons of self-reliance, and the very knowl¬ 
edge of that fact helped her. Pride, also, came to 
the rescue. She was not going to appear like a 
dunce, not she! And as confidence grew, she dis¬ 
covered that many even of the older girls, for all 
the superior years and wisdom for which she had 
given them credit, could not recite as correctly as 
she, nor cared, apparently, to use their brains in 
thinking things out. 

“Why, Helen/’ she said one day to Helen Paget, 
as they came together from Randolph, where their 
Literature class had been reciting, “Victoria Parker 
did not even blush when she made that awful mis¬ 
take today.” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


107 


“O, she really hasn’t enough sense, Cathalina, to 
know how bad it was, and doesn’t care anyhow. 
She’s one of the ‘Simps’. Her father sent her here, 
I heard, because she was so silly and he was afraid 
she might run away to be married.” 

“It wouldn’t have been so bad if we had not 
just been studying George Eliot. The way she rat¬ 
tled it off, that Adam Bede was an English monk 
and was called the venerable Bede!” 

“But you ought to hear her recite in French or 
Latin, Cathalina. She doesn’t think it needs to make 
sense and takes any meaning that she can find in 
the dictionary for the words and strings them to¬ 
gether. We just nearly die when she recites. You 
can imagine what a fit Dr. Carver takes over her 
Latin recitations, and the French teacher has all she 
can do to keep her face straight sometimes.” 

“Who is the French teacher?—there are several of 
the teachers on the platform at Chapel that I don’t 
know yet.” 

“Madame Dumont. She is wonderful, a perfect 
dear! The girls work their heads off for her. She’s 
a native, you know, and goes over home every sum¬ 
mer. But she’s terribly worried since the war 
started in August, you know. She had a son and 
other people in it, of course. You must meet her. 
She’d only be too delighted since you can talk with 
her.” 


108 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


“It would be wonderful for me, only Fm afraid of 
making mistakes. But what did you mean by 
‘simps’ ?” 

“Can’t you guess ?” 

“Simpletons ?” 

“Yes. She and that queer girl that she is always 
with were rather snippy to Diane and me and called 
us the “Imps”, so we sometimes call them the 
‘S’lmps’, with our crowd, of course.” 

“Victoria is quite pretty,” said Cathalina. 

“Yes; she looks just like one of those yellow¬ 
haired dolls that I used to have. Pearl is rather 
stunning, with those big black eyes. But the way 
they both dress! And it would be worse if Miss 
Randolph did not tell us all occasionally what to 
wear. The first time they came down to dinner 
last year, Pearl had on a blue silk evening dress 
with a train, and Victoria wore a fussy lace and 
chiffon dress with satin slippers to match.” 

“I suppose,” remarked Cathalina, thoughtfully, 
“that it isn’t criminal not to know that George Eliot 
wrote ‘Adam Bede’, or not to be able to translate a 
foreign language. Lots of good people don’t know 
either, I guess.” 

“O, of course,” Helen laughed. “I can forget 
history over night. But I don’t know what these 
girls do care for that amounts to anything. I 
reckon”—and Helen’s drawl was much in evidence, 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


109 


“our fathehs and mothes want us to get our lessons 
paht of the time anyway! They say that Pearl has 
a silly motheh that wants huh to be ‘in society’ 
and huh fatheh wo’ks his head off to get money 
enough foh them. He was here one time, a kind¬ 
looking man, not very much fixed up, and Pearl acted 
as if she felt ashamed of him!” 

“Victoria has been real nice to me.” 

“That is because”—but Helen stopped and 
changed the reference she was going to make to the 
style and daintiness of Cathalina’s clothes to “well, 
I feel sorry for Vic. She hasn’t any mother. She 
has more common sense, too, in some ways than 
Pearl.” 

That very day, after study hours, it chanced that 
Cathalina had callers. Hilary was off with some of 
the girls, but Cathalina had a theme to write and 
since genius had begun to burn, was scribbling away 
at a great rate. 

A light tapping came at the doors and a rather 
pretty voice called, “Is Miss Van Buskirk at home?” 

“She is,” replied Cathalina pleasantly, opening 
the door to admit two beruffled and befurbelowed 
young ladies of the Junior Collegiate classes, Vic¬ 
toria Parker and Pearl Opal Taylor. 

Victoria’s flaxen locks were puffed and waved 
and frizzled. She was short and plump, her arms 
and hands fair and pretty, for Victoria would not 


110 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


risk her white skin in any of the athletic sports. A 
wide gold bracelet, long earrings, and half a dozen 
finger rings were her chief ornaments. She sank 
gracefully into a chair, patting her puffs and turn¬ 
ing the bracelet right side before. 

Pearl was tall and thin. Much powder and care¬ 
less eating had had its effect already upon her dark 
complexion, but she added more powder and even a 
bit of rouge upon occasion, though not when in the 
presence of her teachers. Her stylish silk frock was 
adorned with braid and beads and dabs of color until 
it almost made Cathalina’s eyes ache. 

“I undehstand that you home is in N’Yawk, Miss 
Van Buskirk,” simpered Victoria, after the exchange 
of greetings was completed and the three were set¬ 
tled for a visit. 

“Yes, we have always lived there, though Father’s 
people came from near Troy. But don’t call me 
Miss Van Buskirk. I am not grown up yet.” 

“But you have quite an air about you, and as you 
recite with us in literature,—” 

“Mother wants me to be a little girl as long as 
possible, she says.” 

“O, indeed! When will she let you come out ?” 

“O, we aren’t that kind of people. We don’t 
give balls and big affairs as a rule. We have lovely 
family parties, and nice teas and dinners with our 
friends.” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


111 


“Do you know Nora Perry ?” asked Pearl ab¬ 
ruptly. 

“No, I think not; though it is hard to remember 
whom I have met—there are so many.” 

“She is in our class,” said Virginia, forgetting to 
drop her r’s. “She told me that she was going to 
take the first opportunity to call on you because she 
thinks it was your brother that she met at Virginia 
Beach last summer.” 

“Very likely,” said Cathalina, thinking “poor 
Phil!” 

“O, then you do have a brotheh?” continued Vic¬ 
toria, brightening. “Is he quite a little older than 
you ?” 

“Several years.” 

“Nora was saying that your father is vary wealthy 
and that you could have all the clothes and jewelry 
you wanted.” This came from Pearl, and even Vic¬ 
toria frowned at the remark. 

Cathalina froze a little at this and said, “Mother 
says that there is nothing people are so often mis¬ 
taken about as other people’s money, and, anyway, 
she thinks it isn’t in good taste for little girls like 
me to have fussy clothes.” 

By this time Cathalina was very much tried; but 
she wanted to be polite and finally succeeded in get¬ 
ting away from clothes, her own private affairs and 
boys to interest them in some other things. They 


112 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


asked many questions about New York and talked 
volubly about their own experiences of the sum¬ 
mer. When at last the dinner gong released Cath- 
alina, the two birls went away happily, thinking 
that they must have made quite an impresison upon 
“that little Van Buskirk girl”. 

As Cathalina went to the bureau to choose a fresh 
hair ribbon, she picked up her mother’s picture in 
its ivory frame. “There is the Teal article, all wool 
and a yard wide’, as Father says. She looks just 
as she does at Father when he comes home, tender 
and glad to see him,—bless her! My, I’m thank¬ 
ful for the kind of a home I have!” and Cathalina 
was thinking neither of its elegance or wealth. “I 
never realized it, nor was half thankful enough. 
Those poor girls! I wish I could do something for 
Victoria; she has a kind, pleasant way, after all.” 
But Cathalina shook her head doubtfully. “Nine¬ 
teen and such ideas!” For Cathalina, who did not 
realize the changes taking place in her own ideas of 
life, thought nineteen quite too late for an awaken¬ 
ing. 

After dinner, as Cathalina left the dining room, 
she happened to be near Miss Randolph, who slipped 
her hand through Cathalina’s arm. 

“How are you, dear child?” she asked. “I have 
been too busy to look after you properly, but I have 


CATHALINA AT GEEYCLIFF 


113 


watched your cheeks get rosy, and the bright face 
you carry. Have you been homesick ?” 

“Not much. Miss Randolph,—it’s all so interest¬ 
ing and I know the nicest girls!” 

“I have a letter from your Aunt Knickerbocker 
and another from your mother, and before I reply 
I would like a little visit and talk with you. Suppose 
we take our Sunday evening lunch together in my 
rooms/' And with a kind look. Miss Randolph 
went on her way, leaving Cathalina. 

“Somebody is terribly intimate with ‘Ellen’,” said 
one of the girls who did not like Miss Randolph and 
now included in her displeasure “that stuck up Van 
Buskirk girl”. 

Hilary, who happened to be near, replied, “Her 
aunt is a friend of Miss Randolph’s.” 

Cathalina just then joined Hilary and with a 
group of girls they wandered out to the porch seats. 

“Does Miss Randolph teach anything?” inquired 
Hilary. 

“No,” one of the older girls replied. “She did 
a year or so ago, but was too busy and gave it up. 
She taught History of Art and was a perfectly 
grand teacher, the girls say.” 

“I’m scared to death every time she looks at me!” 
said Isabel Hunt, who perched on the balustrade 
and swung one nervous foot. “I wonder if my hair 
is frowzy or the button I sewed on my waist 


114 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


matches, or the one I didn’t sew on will be missed. 
I’m sure she can see clear through me!” 

“Why how funny!” exclaimed Cathalina. “I 
never thought of it.” 

“That is because you are always as neat as a 
pin.” 

“I wish I ‘wuz’,” and Cathalina laughed as she 
thought of various hurried occasions when she had 
longed for Etta. “Hilary, I’m wrongfully accused! 
Come to the rescue!” 

Hilary made big eyes and said in a stage whisper, 
“Never reveal it,—but Miss Buskirk was known to 
rush off to early class one morning with a great 
tear in her petticoat, pinned for a yard around,— 
more or less!” 

“Fie, fie!” cried Isabel. “I feel better!” 

“And you ought to have seen her, Isabel, when 
she came back from her first ride on old Poky! You 
wouldn’t think Poky’s going could jolt anybody, 
would you?” 

“She galloped awfully,” interrupted Cathalina, 
while the girls laughed. 

“Cathalina did not have a hairpin or a ribbon 
left! Her hat was over one ear, her hair flying— 
well, I will spare her the rest! ever there was a 
girl in distress she was it!” 

“Well, I was in distress. That old riding teacher 
showed everybody how but me!” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


115 


“He probably thought that anybody on Poky 
didn’t need any showing.” 

“Hilary, how you do rub it in!” said Isabel, reach¬ 
ing over to pat Cathalina, who was not minding it 
at all. 

“She appealed to me!” urged Hilary in self-de¬ 
fense. 

“That was the way my oldest brother taught me 
to swim,” Isabel continued. “He took me out to 
where I couldn’t stand and began to be floated off,— 
’n when I was yellin’—‘Jimmy, take me out/ the 
wretch swam off with ‘strike out, Izzy’! ” 

“O, my,” gasped Avalon, “what did you do?” 

“Well, you see I’m here,” and Isabel grinned at 
Avalon, who looked sheepish. 

“Putty!” said one of the girls. “I happen to 
know that Isabel had been practicing for a month 
and could float anyway. All she needed was con¬ 
fidence in herself.” 

“Don’t spoil a good story,” said Isabel. 

“Did you ever hear why Miss Randolph never 
got married?” asked Diane, going back to the first 
subject of conversation. 

“No; why?”—and the whole group leaned for¬ 
ward to catch the first word of romance. 

“She wasn’t asked!” replied Diane mischievously, 
and was rewarded by groans from all quarters. 

“Mean thing!” 


116 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


“No, sir!” Isabel exclaimed. “There is a real 
love story about Miss Randolph. She was going to 
marry a young professor of oratory. You know 
what a lovely voice she has, so rich and deep some¬ 
times it gives you the shivers in Chapel when she 
prays!” 

“Thrills, you mean,” corrected Hilary. 

“Well, anyway, this young man heard her voice 
in another room at a party and went in to hunt it 
up—oratory, you know,—and found Miss Randolph 
and fell in love at first sight.” 

“Sound, you mean,” softly suggested the same 
mentor. 

“You’re awful smart, Hilary Lancaster,” grinned 
Isabel, “who’s telling this?—And they picked out 
their furniture and he had a dandy job at some 
school, and she had the love-li-est clothes, and—” 

“O, don’t say that he died!” exclaimed Cathalina. 

“No, he didn’t,—that was the worst of it.” The 
girls laughed here. 

“Well, which would you rather if you were en¬ 
gaged, have him died and still love you, or have 
something happen and maybe somebody else get 
him?” 

Nobody seemed to be able to decide the question. 

“Just before the time to send out the invitations, 
something happened. Nobody ever knew what. 
She wouldn’t say a word, except that the engage- 



CATHALINA AT GEEYCLIFF 


117 


ment was broken. She went to Europe and studied 
art and things, and I suppose he went to his old 
school.” 

“You seem to be sure that it was all his fault. 
Are you so fond of Miss Randolph ?” 

“Well, I always feel guilty when she’s around, 
but then that isn’t her fault, and I can’t imagine her 
ever doing anything wrong.” 

“Who told you all that, Isabel? I don’t believe 
a word of it.” 

“Annabel Wright, in the elocution class. Her 
people came from the same town, in Virginia. Just 
ask her.” 

“Funny Cathalina never heard of it.” 

“O, no; Aunt Katherine wouldn’t speak of it if 
she knew.” 

Not a girl of this group failed to look at Miss 
Randolph the next time she saw her with a new 
interest because she had had a lover! But it was 
hard to believe that any one so calm and cheerful 
could have had the note of tragedy in her life. 


118 . CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER X. 

Hilary's birthday box. 

A curious friendship had sprung up between 
Cathalina and Isabel Hunt. Perhaps the first tie was 
the devotion to Cathalina of Avalon Moore, Isabel’s 
roommate. Then Cathalina was a revelation to 
Isabel, crude, motherless little girl that she was. 
For Isabel had been brought up by a father troubled 
about business affairs, by a queer old cousin who 
kept house, and by four older brothers. 

“No wonder Isabel talks as carelessly as she does, 
Mamma,” wrote Cathalina. “I could not bear her 
at first. But she has the dearest, warmest heart, and 
is such a little wild rose of a thing, with her curly 
hair and rosy cheeks, that I’ve changed my mind. 
Miss Randolph said that she is ‘a dear little girl that 
ought to have more love and care.’ She and Avalon 
hang around our ‘bunch’, as Isabel calls us, as much 
as possible and are delighted to make themselves 
useful. 

“Now, dearest Mothery, don’t forget what I told 
you about Hilary’s birthday. Please let me give 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


119 


her something nice, won’t you? I’ll run the risk of 
her feeling ‘under obligation’. She is such a dear 
and has been so lovely to me. I’ll never even tell 
her before my birthday. Besides, my birthday does 
not come in school time. Hilary will be sixteen! 
I’m glad she is older than I; I’ve depended upon her 
a lot. She knows so much more about people, some¬ 
way, than I do. Her mother is going to send her 
a birthday box and I’m ever so curious to see what 
a real birthday box at school is like.” 

The “bunch” to which Cathalina referred was the 
the group of girls who lived for the most part on 
Lakeview Corridor. It was not a “clique”, exclu¬ 
sive, but merely the usual drawing together of a 
merry group that chanced to become better ac¬ 
quainted through association in classes or some per¬ 
sonal attraction to each other. But there were other 
nice girls on this corridor and elsewhere, with whom 
in time Cathalina and Hilary formed many pleasant 
friendships. 

Three exciting events were on for the last week 
of October: Hilary’s birthday, the election of cap¬ 
tain for the Junior (Academy) basketball team, 
and the Hallowe’en masquerade. Tongues were 
gabbling and fingers flying on costumes in the inter¬ 
esting hours between recitation, study hours, meal¬ 
time and bed-time. Lights were rarely out on time 
and many were the dread reproofs from teachers on 


120 


CATHALINA AT GIvEYCLIFF 


the different corridors. Cathalina was on the com¬ 
mittee for the Hallowe’en performance, while Hilary 
was deep in the interests of basketball. She was 
“out for the team” and the recipient of confidences 
on all sides. 

On the day of her birthday, Hilary was flying 
down the hall, tapping at different doors. 

Isabel’s brown curls lifted from the remarkable 
costume on which she was sewing with unaccus¬ 
tomed fingers. “Where’s Avalon?” Hilary asked, 
as she held the door part way open. 

“She has not been up since lunch.” 

“Then invite her for me, please, when she comes 

♦ 

in. I want both of you to come to our feast tonight. 
I am to have a box from home if nothing happens. 
It is to arrive this afternoon, so the things will be 
fresh. If it should be delayed, we’ll have the feast 
tomorrow.” 

“O, goody!—you’re a duck, Hilary. I’ll be dee- 
lighted and so will Avalon. It’s awfully good of 
you to invite us with the big girls!” Isabel jumped 
up, dropping scissors and work on the floor, while 
she ran to take Hilary’s face in her two hands and 
kiss her. “Many happy returns! 

Hilary looked embarrassed, for she “wasn’t much 
at kissing.” 

“Be sure to come,” she said hospitably, as she 
vanished to tap at the next door. “What in the 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


121 


world is this!” and Hilary pretended to start back 
in fright. A fierce growl greeted this question, as 
Diane in a bear’s costume, to which Helen had been 
putting a few last stitches, sat up, waved brown paws 
and started a rolling dance. 

“Isn’t it good?” asked Helen. 

“Great!” Hilary replied, clapping her hands in 
applause. 

“This, ladies and gentlemen, is the only Cinna¬ 
mon-Black Bear in captivity,” said Helen, as she 
slipped into a rough coat and adjusted a man’s 
slouch hat over her eyes. “Here is his chain.” She 
threw a long iron chain around Diane’s neck. “This 
is the worst place to get anything. I wish Miss Ran¬ 
dolph would let us go to the city for costumes.” 

“She said we’d have just as much fun with inex¬ 
pensive things. But I’m forgetting my errand. 
Cathalina Van Buskirk and Hilary Lancaster will 
be at home this evening at eight o’clock and will 
be happy to see Miss Diane Percy, Helen Paget, 
Miss Lilian North, and Miss Betty Barnes at that 
time,—very promptly—if we don’t send for you to 
help before!” 

“Don’t worry. We wouldn’t miss it. Has the 
box come?” 

“No; but Mother said it would before night, and 
what Mother can’t put through has not yet been dis¬ 
covered! Miss Randolph said we could sit up a 


122 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


while after ‘lights out’, so we can have a good time 
and not hurry. Yum-yum, I know Uncle Andrew's 
chickens from Brookdale farm will be in it!” 

“Did you say ‘CHICKENS’? in the plural?” 
asked Diane in deep and husky tones, while she 
made her eyes big and waved her claws again. 

“Ow! Let me escape, fierce beast!” and Hilary 
disappeared. 

As Hilary came into the room, Cathalina, who 
like all the rest was industriously sewing, pointed 
with a smile to the birthday box, just deposited 
near the table by the janitor. The top was open 
and the nails carefully drawn from the boards. 

“Hooray!” cried Hilary. “But I’m not going to 
take a thing out till after dinner.” 

“How can you wait so long?” 

“Because I think it will be fun to take it all out 
at once, and it will spoil our appetites to nibble at 
things,—and how could we help it?—and then. 
Mother has packed that box and I know that the eats 
and everything are in glorious shape. They’ll be 
better to stay as they are until we are ready. I 
hope the girls won’t eat much at dinner.” 

“If I were Pearl Opal I’d exclaim—‘eat much? 
here?’” 

“Poor Pearl! How she hates it here!” 

“When are you going to have the feast, Hilary?” 

“About half-past eight or nine o’clock, though 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


123 


it’s supposed to be a ‘midnight feast’. We’ll begin 
to borrow dishes and fix up soon after dinner. 
Won’t it be jolly? It isn’t every girl that can be 
at Greycliffi and have a birthday and a big box from 
home.” 

“A little package came to me, too,” said Cathalina, 
putting down her work and going into the bedroom. 
In a moment she appeared with a little black leather 
case. 

“O, what did they send you?” asked generous 
Hilary, who was always glad for the good fortune 
of others. Cathalina opened the case. There on 
soft ivory satin lay a delicate gold chain with an 
exquisite little pendent of opals and tiny diamonds. 

“How beautiful!” exclaimed Hilary, looking 
closely. 

“Try it on,” Cathalina invited, her eyes dancing. 

“Isn’t it the sweetest thing, Cathalina! It will 
be so pretty with all your low-necked dresses.” 

“Yes it—won’t, Miss Hilary,” replied Cathalina, 
who could not wait any longer. Putting her arm 
about Hilary, she held the hands that were beginning 
to unfasten the clasp. “It’s yours, girlie, with ‘many 
happy returns’. I had Mamma get your birthstones, 
for it’s lucky, they say for October girls to wear 
opals.” Cathalina laughed at Hilary’s astounded 
look. “I hope that you will enjoy it and remember 
your old goose of a roommate when you wear it” 


124 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


‘‘You old darling!—but I can’t, realty, it's too 
nice,—opals and diamonds!” 

“It isn’t much, honestly. I wanted Mamma to 
get something nicer, but she knew best, I suppose.” 

“What could be nicer? O! It is so lovely!” and 
Hilary looked in the mirror again. “It surely is 
a surprise. I don’t feel I ought to have it, 
but thank you a thousand times!” Hilary hugged 
the happy Cathalina, who said, “Put on for dinner 
your white organdy with the V neck and see how 
this looks with it.” 

“All right. I’ll have to change again, though, 
can’t risk my pretty dress unpacking.” 

“Grace says that the girls usually wear their 
kimonos at a late spread.” As she spoke, Catha¬ 
lina smiled, thinking what her mother would say 
if she saw her daughter in the big figured kimono 
which she had purchased at the Greycliff Heights 
“emporium”. Her lacy negligee she had found 
scarcely suitable for Greycliff “stunts”. 

Lessons, Gym practice, dinner, committee meet¬ 
ings and a turn outdoors were all over at last. Hil¬ 
ary’s “sparkler”, as Isabel called it, had been duly 
admired and commented on by dozens of gins. She 
and Cathalina flew up to their suite and were joined 
by Isabel and Avalon, who had begged to be allowed 
to help. 

“We’ll get the dishes all ready before we unpack 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


125 


the box. Then we can set the goodies right on 
the table, Isabel. Will you please go to 57 and bor¬ 
row the girls’ kettle for the cocoa?” 

“I’ll make that,” offered Avalon. She was taking 
domestic science and welcomed a chance to practice. 

“All right; I brought up the milk and put it out 
on the window ledge. And I wonder if you wouldn’t 
help gather up dishes now. Run around to Grace 
and Eloise first. With theirs and those from fifty- 
one, and ours, of course, we’ll have enough, I think. 
O, yes,—tell ’em to bring what spoons they have.” 
So directed Hilary. 

Books and papers were piled on wundow sills and 
floor. Whisk went the table runner and Cathalina 
came trotting with a dust cloth. A clean dresser 
scarf and paper napkins made sufficient covering for 
the table, and a pile of wooden plates was placed 
on one end. “Now let’s see,” pondered Hilary. 
“Two can sit on the cedar chest here, three on your 
new box, Cathalina,” whirling around a light box 
which had been another purchase at the Emporium, 
and contained little of weight as yet. “That’s five, 
and four chairs, nine; and when the box is empty it 
can stand on end with a cushion on it. A few chairs 
from Lil’s will finish out nicely.” 

“What’s the matter with cushions on the floor?” 

“O, well, we’re having more than light refresh¬ 
ments and I’m afraid it would get tiresome.” 


126 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


Bright pink spots burned on Hilary’s cheeks as 
she hurried around to get everything ready. Then 
she began to draw one package after another out of 
the birthday box. First came a flat paper box, which 
contained some acceptable little gifts for the sixteen- 
year-old daughter. Within the tissue paper lay some 
bright hair ribbons, a pair of kid gloves, a dainty 
handkerchief and some fragrant sachets made by 
June from satin ribbon. These were admired by the 
girls who stood or sat near, but they were much 
more interested in the rest of the contents. A birth¬ 
day letter Hilary slipped into her belt to read pres¬ 
ently. 

“Look, girls, the big box in the middle has the 
chicken, I know!” Hilary lifted the lid and disclosed 
tempting pieces of fried chicken well wrapped in 
oiled paper. “Please take them out, Isabel, and 
arrange on some of the wooden plates, on a paper 
napkin, you know.” 

“How many chickens do you suppose your mother 
cooked? Here’s nothing but breast and second 
joints and nice things.” 

“They’re having chicken pie on the remains,” 
said Hilary laughing. Here’s some of June’s famous 
salad, two quart cans,—and do you like blackberry 
jelly, Avalon? Good, two glasses. That is all I was 
afraid of that there wouldn’t be enough of the little 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


127 


things for the crowd. But Mother knew little 
Hilary!” 

A big birthday cake, candles in a box; nut bread; 
pimento and cheese sandwiches; country butter; 
fresh rolls, home-made; a package of June’s fudge 
and “divinity”; cream candies, made with fondant; 
a large candy box of blanched almonds and hickory 
nut meats; olives and fine homemade pickles, all 
came in quick succession from that still famous box. 
In the corners and around about were tucked oranges 
and red and golden apples. The girls shook every 
scrap of paper for fear they might miss something. 
“And everything so wonderfully packed!” they ex¬ 
claimed. As the table was not large enough to hold 
it all, the cake and other goodies for dessert were 
carried into the other room and the top of the dresser 
cleared to hold them. 

“I feel like a little piggy-hog,” sighed Isabel, look¬ 
ing at the table full of good things. 

“Help yourselves,” said Hilary, turning to the 
book-shelves and then passing a box of chocolates 
which had reposed there, having arrived from Aunt 
Hilary that morning. 

“One chocolate and a pickle is my limit,” Avalon 
decided, and turned her back on the table to enjoy 
those delicacies. “We must save our appetites for 
the chicken. We can buy candy, but where can we 


128 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


ever get chicken like that?” Avalon, long over her 
homesickness, was almost as full of life as Isabel. 

“Now for the cocoa, Avalon,—I’ll help.” Catha- 
1 ina’s housewifely instincts supplied what experience 
lacked and she found that she liked to fuss around 
after this fashion. 

Then the guests began to arrive. Diane Percy, 
Helen Paget, Lilian North, Betty Barnes, Grace 
Barnard, Eloise Winthrop and two newer friends, 
Juliet Howe and Pauline Tracy, came in, one or 
two at a time. Juliet and Pauline, like Hilary, were 
“out” for basketball. Both were active, athletic 
girls. Pauline, known as “Polly”, was a plump, 
rather solid looking girl, with round cheeks, full, 
pleasant mouth, quantities of long black hair, steady 
grey eyes, and strong, capable looking hands, equal¬ 
ly efficient for basketball, tennis, and rowing, or 
for driving, and cooking for hungry cowboys on the 
ranch from which she came. “She can do even 
more than Hilary, Betty says,” wrote Cathalina to 
her mother. Cathalina had never met a girl just 
like Pauline, and was much interested in everything 
about her. Juliet was known as Polly’s Shadow, 
partly because of their intimacy. She was almost 
Polly’s twin in complexion, hair and eyes, but was 
tall and thin, with long, slender face. Swiftness and 
general activity were her particular recommenda¬ 
tions for basketball. 


CATHALINA AT GKEYCLIFF 


129 


Grace came in the dress which she had worn to 
dinner and was sent back by Isabel for a kimono. 
“Nobody can come without a wedding garment,” 
cried she, picking up a last piece of oiled paper to 
tuck in the waste basket, and bringing a cushion 
for the wooden box, which she had set on end. 
“Come one, come all!’’ 

“All right, kiddie,” said Grace, looking around 
with amusement at the gay garments, “I’ll be glad 
enough to get into one.” 

“Now excuse me just a minute while I read my 
letter. I can’t wait any longer. I was not expecting 
to find one in the box or I would have unpacked it 
before. You can pass the candy and pickles again, 
girls, as an appetizer. Grace will be back in a 
minute.” 

So Hilary ran into the bedroom, carrying her 
precious birthday letter with its words of praise 
for past days and blessings and good cheer for the 
days to come. She also opened a second package, 
from Aunt Hilary, taking out a silk workbag, all 
fitted out with scissors, new thimble and all the ac¬ 
cessories. “Look, girls,” she said, going back to 
her guests, “this is one thing that we did not get 
ready last summer. I brought my old work box.” 

Such exclamations as there had been when each 
guest had caught sight of the table. Betty Barnes, 
perched on the wooden box, shook her head when 


130 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


asked to take a more comfortable seat. “Thank 
you, this is so handy to the table!” With her little 
slippered feet she beat at tattoo against the boards 
as she ate the pickle for which Hilary well knew 
each girl’s mouth would water. Betty was in high 
spirits and all the girls in gay humor. In a few 
minutes Avalon and Cathalina arrived with 
the steaming kettle of cocoa, and after some skirm¬ 
ishing around for the proper number of cups, plates 
and paper napkins, the feast began, much later than 
planned, but as the girls all said, the later the better! 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


131 


CHAPTER XI. 
at Hilary's spread. 

Smiling faces and figures with the grace and free¬ 
dom of youth made the small room seem very cosy 
and full of good cheer. It was remarkable how, in 
spite of the disappearance of food, conversation 
never flagged. In fact, it often occurred that sev¬ 
eral were talking at once. 

“Mother wrote,” said Hilary, “that our good 
friend, uncle Andy Short,—everybody calls him 
‘Uncle’—brought in the chickens all ready, dressed 
and wouldn’t take a cent. He said T don’t suppose 
those girls ever get a good square meal there.’ He 
just adores Father and heard in some way about 
the birthday box.” 

“How grand to be a minister’s daughter!” 

“Dear Uncle Andy!” 

“No joking,—he is just fine. They haven’t any 
children, so they’re nice to other people’s. It’s great 
out on their big farm, five hundred acres, Father 
says.” 


132 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


“What cannibals we are!” Lilian remarked. “Pm 
going to stop chicken and begin on some of the 
other things if I can. Look at my plate, Hilary,— 
I accepted everything that was passed!” 

“May we have dessert tomorrow, Hilary?” asked 
Grace, looking in mock despair from her plate to the 
beautiful birthday cake just brought in. 

“How many girls are out for basketball, Pauline?” 
asked Eloise. 

“About fifteen, I think.” 

“That is pretty good, isn’t it?” asked Lilian. 
“There are only twenty-four Juniors altogether.” 

“How many are chosen?” Cathalina had never 
seen a game, but was beginning to be interested. 

“Six,” replied Juliet. “Girls have two centers,— 
so it will be easier for them. Boys have only one. 
The floor is divided differently, too. You will see.” 

“Come down, Cathalina, and watch us some day,” 
said Pauline, “before the games come off. You will 
understand it better. And that makes me think— 
how many of you here are playing now?—You, Di, 
and Hilary and Grace,—” 

“I haven’t any chance for the team,” said Grace, 
“but I like to play for the fun of it.” 

“That is the way with me,” said Lilian, “but I 
don’t see how Di and Hilary can help being on it, 
and Polly and Juliet, of course. They played last 
year, Cathalina.” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


133 


“But you have a vote just the same, and I wanted 
to tell you that the silly ‘Fudge Club’ want to get 
Florence Day elected captain. We all know that 
Hilary ought to be elected Captain.’’ 

“O, Pauline would be better, girls!” cried Hilary 
promptly and sincerely. 

“Thanks, Hilary,” said Pauline. “I do think I 
understand the game, but I am not as good a leader. 
Hilary has the head for emergencies.” 

“Don’t quarrel, children!” Betty pretended to 
part Pauline and Hilary, who sat close together on 
the cedar chest. “Polly told me some time ago 
that Hilary was a big surprise to the girls in basket¬ 
ball and that she ought to be elected Captain. Flor¬ 
ence is a good player, but she isn’t equal to Hilary. 
She goes all to pieces sometimes, and isn’t always 
fair besides. Everybody can count on Hilary all 
the time, they say.” 

“Hear, hear!” applauded the girls. 

“Is this politics?” inquired Isabel. 

“No, indeed,” replied Pauline. “I just wanted to 
warn you about some. If Hilary were my own sister 
and not the best one I would not vote for her. The 
point is to win!” 

“Who elects the Captain?” asked Cathalina again. 

“The whole crowd of girls out for the team. 
Then the captain goes to work to train them all 


134 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


and later the coach chooses the best players for the 
team/’ 

“I see,” said Cathalina looking wise. 

“Well, what happens at Greycliff after that?” 
Avalon continued the questioning, and Juliet replied 
this time 

“The class games come on first, in the Academy 
and in the Collegiate classes, too. We fight hard 
in our class games and most of our interest is in 
them, because we hardly ever beat the big girls. If 
we did we’d have a chance at games with another 
school. Don’t I wish it would be the Juniors this 
time!” 

“Rah, rah, Juniors, Greycliff!”—and Pauline 
waved a wishbone. 

Juliet went on: “We usually play against the 
Highland Seminary girls,—only twenty miles away. 
Lots of us go over to root for our team, or they 
come here.” 

“They call themselves the Highlanders,” added 
Helen, “and wear Scotch colors. The last time 
they came here they got hold of an old Scotchman 
who could play the bagpipe and brought him along. 
It was something awful to hear and actually fussed 
our girls. They beat us, too. Wasn’t it awful, 
Pauline?” Helen shook her head at the sad mem¬ 
ory. 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


135 


“I should think so! Miss Randolph did not like 
the bagpipes any too well, either. The Highlanders 
had a young chaperone and had the Scotchman 
join them here. Miss Randolph did not know that, 
of course, till afterwards, so put up with it.” 

“They are our deadliest rivals, Cathalina,” ex¬ 
plained Eloise. 

“Do they usually beat?” Cathalina inquired in¬ 
nocently. 

“I should say not! I’m sure that we are at least 
two games ahead!” cried Pauline, in some excite¬ 
ment. 

“Nice old Polly! Polly want a cracker?” said 
Betty soothingly, offering a piece of cake. 

“I wish that Miss Randolph would let us go 
around to more places,” sighed Juliet, stretching for¬ 
ward red slippers and smothering a yawn. “It is 
such fun.” 

“Indeed, Juliet, you ought to be thankful you 
can ever go! It was a long time before Miss Ran¬ 
dolph would have any games away from home. So 
they say; and Patricia West told somebody that 
Miss Randolph thinks 'competitive games’ bad for 
the girls. But I guess she just had to give in for 
fear ev’rybody would go to the other schools.” 

“I shouldn’t think anybody would want to go 
anywhere else that ever saw Greycliff,” said Catha¬ 
lina, forgetting her own early indifference, though 


136 


CATHALINA AT GEEYCLIFF 


a bit surprised at her own feeling. “But somehow 
I hate to think that Miss Randolph would give in 
to anything she didn’t think right. I can’t be¬ 
lieve it!” 

“Good for you, Cathalina,—you are a loyal Grey- 
cliffer already! And I guess all of us feel that way 
about Miss Randolph, too.” Thus spoke Lilian. 
“But you know Miss Randolph does not own the 
school, even if her uncle did give so much money. 
She can’t help some things,—and of course we’re 
all glad about this.” 

“Let’s talk about the Hallowe’en doin’s,” sug¬ 
gested Avalon. “I can’t think of a thing for a 
costume!” 

“Why, Avalon, do forgive me for not telling you. 
We’ve changed our plans and it won’t be a mas¬ 
querade,—costumes of a sort, though. I forgot you 
were having sore throat.” 

“And I forgot, too, to tell her,” said Isabel 
guiltily. 

“What’s the new plan, then, Cathalina? Yes, I 
was over at the pest house two days.” 

“We’re going to have a circus. Wait till I drink 
the rest of my cocoa and I’ll get a list that I have. 
Everybody has to report to the committee what she’s 
going to be or do. You can get some ideas of what 
you would like to be.” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


137 


“You ought to see Di as the performing bear,” 
said Helen. 

“What are you?” 

“O, I’m the man that leads him around and makes 
him dance and lets the bear hug him and every¬ 
thing.” 

“I’m going to run a side show,” said Lilian. 
“How would you like to take tickets?” 

“Nothing so tame for me. I’d rather be an ani¬ 
mal or a spangled lady.” 

“Put your wits to work, all of you, and help out 
the committee with your brilliant ideas. We only 
have a few days.” 

“Where are you going to have it?” asked Isabel. 

“In the Gym. We’re going to charge from one 
cent up for the different shows and things. It’s 
for the Y. W., you know. So get your money 
changed up and you can have pink lemonade and 
peanuts, beside seeing the Greatest Wonders in 
the World! Wait till we get out our posters to¬ 
morrow. All our artists are working on the hand 
bills!” Cathalina’s eyes sparkled as she thought 
of the funny things that were being made ready, 
and the girls all laughed at her professional air. 
“And we don’t want the Collegiate girls to beat 
us being funny. Some of the little graders are 
going to be too dear!” 


138 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


“What will you do if everybody wants to be an 
animal ?” 

“No danger of that. The costumes are too hard 
to make.” 

“I think so!” exclaimed Diane. “Helen and I 
have worked all week; catch us trying it again! Me 
for a tight rope performance or something easy !* 

Two sleepy girls were left in the suite after the 
guests had gathered up their kimonos and departed, 
with promises to come in the next day for a second 
lunch on the remains. Hilary threw herself into a 
chair and looked at the table with a comical expres¬ 
sion. “That’s the mischief! eleven o’clock and all 
this mess to clear up!” But Cathalina was already 
gathering up the bones and crumbs, shaking them 
into one big paper, and putting the good things into 
the various pasteboard boxes. 

“Never mind, Hilary. It’s your birthday and 
you supplied all these lovely eats, so I’ll clean up. 
Go to bed, Hilary. If my mother could only see 
how I’ve reformed, she would be proud of her little 
Cathalina.” 

Hilary sprang up protesting, and in a twinkle the 
table was cleared, the embroidered runner and books 
put back and the soiled china and silver piled in the 
big cocoa kettle “till tomorrow”. 

“I’m glad we can’t wash the dishes tonight.” 

“Yes, the fudge room is locked by this time.” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


139 


“And we’d wake everybody up there or anywhere 
we were prowling.” 

“Set the alarm for six, please, Hilary. Isn’t it 
awful? I have to copy a theme before first hour 
class!” 

Twelve restless heads tossed on twelve rumpled 
pillows. Hilary dreamed that she was playing bas¬ 
ketball with a Scotch Highlander eight or ten feet 
tall, who always managed to get the ball and just 
reach over to drop it through the basket! Catha- 
lina’s dreams took the form of strange animals in 
cages, clowns and swinging elephants; and once 
a reproachful looking chicken, as large as an ostrich, 
stretched his neck between the bars of a gloomy 
cage and pulled out by the roots a braid of Catha- 
lina’s long hair! 


140 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER XII. 
the Hallowe'en circus. 

“Here's your hot peanuts, only a penny a sack,— 
right this way, ladies and gentlemen!” a shrill voice 
was calling. 

“Ice-cold pink, yellow and purple lemonade!” 

“Coney Island popcorn! Hot Crispetts! Ice¬ 
cream candy!” 

“Walk up, ladies, and see the only living Wild 
Man of Borneo!” 

“Tickets this way, ladies and gentlemen, to have 
your fortune told!” 

Pandemonium appeared to reign in the big Gym. 
On buying an entrance ticket for one cent, one se¬ 
cured the privilege of beholding this remarkable 
scene. “Show Day in Podunk,” the committee called 
it. Most of the girls, costumed either as performers 
or patrons of the show, took part. A few faculty 
wives, with Miss Randolph and the other teachers, 
had received invitations and walked about leading 
some staring and delighted faculty children. 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


141 


One end of the big gymnasium had been curtained 
off and made to look as much as possible like a 
circus tent. A few booths and stands, and several 
small tents for “side-shows”, constituted the rest of 
the scenery on which the long-suffering janitor and 
his assistants had been hammering and fixing all 
day. The committee had spent much time and 
thought on the plan and had pressed other girls into 
service to help with placards and posters. 

Cathalina came hurrying in as if afraid she would 
be late. She wore a yellow sunbonnet, a bright red 
shoulder shawl and a deep pink calico dress which 
dipped decidedly in the back. By the hand she 
dragged a curly-headed boy in knickerbockers. 
“Naow Tommy,” she said loudly, “I can’t take you 
to ev’rything, so be a good boy an’ you kin see the 
animals an’ the big show!” 

“O, Maw, there’s some ice-cream candy! I want 
a balloon. Maw! Gimme a nickel! Aw, Maw!” and 
Tommy tugged at his mother’s hand. Tommy was 
Isabel, of course, whose blue shirt-waist and purple 
tie matched the gaudiness of a plaid velvet cap. She 
hung back whining, as Cathalina tried to guide her 
obstreperous child toward the main tent. 

Lilian, who had changed her plans, was a farmer 
in blue jeans, heavy boots, loose blouse, red bandanna 
handkerchief and a large straw hat. She brought in 
a large family of boys and girls, the boys in overalls 


142 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


or knickerbockers and the girls in every variety of 
dress. 

There was the balloon man in ill-fitting attire. 
His balloons were quite popular and were to be seen 
bobbing all over the room. “Toot” went the 
whistle. Girls dressed as children blew out paper 
snakes or other things supposed to be dear to the 
childish heart. Some bought “come-back” balls or 
supplied themselves with squawkers with which to 
make night hideous. Country beaux threw confetti 
at coquettish lasses, fearfully and wonderfully 
decked for the occasion, or took them to have their 
fortune told. A patent medicine man sold a lotion 
which he loudly proclaimed as warranted to take off 
freckles and sunburn “while you sleep”. So popu¬ 
lar was this, although it called for the quarters, that 
the supply gave out and he was forced to sell the 
prescription, a real one, supplied by Evelyn Calvert’s 
Southern Mammy. 

“Madame Zitani Will Read Your Past and Fore¬ 
tell Your Future.” So read the sign before a little 
tent. Inside was Eloise, sparkling in a bright scar¬ 
let dress with laced bodice. “Lady, I never saw 
your face before,” said she to Cathalina, who, with 
the never satisfied “Tommy”, had entered the tent, 
“but cross my hand with one simoleon and I will 
tell your past and reveal your future.” Giggling 
girls stood around while Eloise took Cathalina’s 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


143 


hand, soft and not much like that of the hard-work¬ 
ing lady she represented, and made up an extrava¬ 
gant tale of woe. 

“But you will overcome all your troubles, have 
money left you and soon have nothing to do but 
ride in your automobiles and aeroplanes!” 

Cathalina had assumed a wondering expression, 
nodding her head in assent to every remarkable event 
of her past life as related by the solemn Eloise. 
“Listen to that Timmy,” cried she. 

“Come on, Maw, I want to see the Fat Lady and 
the Boa Constrictor.” 

Just then a terrific drumming was heard, and 
from a side door appeared “Susan's Band”. Grace 
Barnard as drum-major lead the way, with all the 
motions appropriate to that office and some extra 
antics. The members of the band wore their regu- 
lar “gym” bloomers, of which a great many were 
in evidence tonight, with military coats and hats. 
These one of the girls had borrowed from her 
brother, a student in a boys' military school across 
the lake. Strains of familiar songs and marches 
were vigorously produced on combs with all the 
skill which attaches to playing upon that difficult in¬ 
strument. Accompanied by the clashing of cymbals 
and drums (which, to tell the truth, sounded much 
like a combination of spoons and dishpans), they 


144 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


marched to the entrance of the main tent and were 
evidence that the performance was about to begin. 

“Ten minutes to see the animals, ladies and gents, 
before the gr-reat performance commences! Two 
rings! The famous Slinger Brothers on the trapeze! 
Only three cents admittance! There will be two 
performances, one right after the other,—so don’t 
all try to get in at once, please!” This last was 
added in an unprofessional tone as a necessary pre¬ 
caution, for with the entrance of the band, it looked 
as if the entire house was starting to the show. The 
herald was supposed to be one of the proprietors of 
the circus, Mr. Barnum, in fact; but the shade of the 
real Mr. Barnum would have been much insulted if 
he could have beheld his representative. Checked 
black and white knickerbockers (adapted from an 

old suit skirt), a dark maroon velvet coat, white 

* 

vest, red necktie, green kid gloves, blue spectacles, 
a fierce black mustache, silk hat and a cane, were 
striking features of his outfit. Girls and teachers 
had to look twice before they recognized a quiet girl 
of the upper class, who had been known chiefly by 
good work in the class-room. Her dark hair was 
turned straight up under the silk hat and gave a 
bobbed effect. 

“Come, Mrs. Goodman,” invited Miss Randolph 
laughing at and with the startling looking showman 
who could not keep his face straight, but took off 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


145 


his hat and bowed low to the ladies as they ap¬ 
proached. “Let us see what kind of a performance 
the girls have/’ 

The curtains were parted for them as they paid 
over their pennies, and they entered a space where 
there was sawdust scattered upon the floor with a 
little hay and a few cages made from boxes. Three 
remarkable elephants were swinging long trunks 
about. “Don’t lean on me so hard, please,” 
whispered the front section of elephant to the rear 
section. “My back is ’most broken,” was the reply, 
“and I’m nearly smothered!” 

“Make a breathing hole here, and I’ll try to stand 
it if you can’t help leaning all your weight on me!” 

It was not all joy, apparently, to be transformed 
into a circus animal, but “anything for Y. W. and 
a little fun”, as the girls said. It was just as well 
that all the cages were labeled. 

A semicircle of seats, in two tiers, had been 
made of boards nailed to boxes, somewhat insecure¬ 
ly, it seemed to the ladies as they climed upon them. 
“I can’t tell which is more amusing,” said the pro¬ 
fessor’s wife to Miss Randolph, “audience or per¬ 
formers.” She waved her hand as she spoke at a 
row of supposed small boys on the front circle. They 
sat with open mouths, or passed sacks of peanuts 
and popcorn to each other. 


146 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


“The girls are pretty good at this/’ replied the 
principal. “Those two clowns coming out are Colle¬ 
giate Seniors, Maxine Burton and Gertrude Mather.” 

“Now, Titus,” said clown number one pompously, 
as he placed his hand upon a large wooden box in 
the center of the sawdust ring, “do you see this incu¬ 
bator ?” 

“Yes, suh,” replied clown number two, hideous 
with red and white paint and a clown’s suit much 
beruffled and gathered. 

“And the egg that I now put in?” 

“Yes, suh.” 

“In exactly two minutes after I turn the crank, 
the whole process is complete and the chicken will 
appear. This incubator is the greatest invention of 
the age,—by Thomas Edison, ladies and gentlemen!” 

Faint jeers and one quickly suppressed call of 
“chestnuts” came from the front row; but the ring¬ 
master started in the direction of the “small boys” 
and the disturbance subsided. 

“Br-rr-rr! Br-rr-rr!” 

“Now I open the door, like this,—” 

“Oooh-oo-ooh-oo-oo/*-oo-oo!” With a great flap¬ 
ping and crowing, an immense rooster of decidedly 
human characteristics hopped out and flopped around 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


147 


amid loud manufactured applause, while clown num¬ 
ber two pretended to faint and was carted off by 
two circus hands on one of the trucks used by the 
janitor for trunks. 

\ 

A few more rather silly imitations of circus jokes 
followed, for busy girls could not be expected to 
be too original; then the elephants were announced, 
by the ringmaster, who wore a black velvet riding 
suit. This elegant gentleman cracked a whip and 
strode around in true histrionic style. 

“Any little boy or girl who wants to may now 
have a ride on the elephant. These are the most 
docile elephants in captivity!” 

In came the elephants, led by a deeply dyed native 
clad in a silk turban and a flowing kimono appro¬ 
priately draped. They came slowly by necessity. 

(“Now, when I step with my right foot, you step 
with your left, and then it will look natural. “Thus 
spoke the first section of elephant. 

“Well, how can I do it? It joggles so!” re¬ 
turned rear section.) 

“Now, what little boy will come first?” asked the 
ring-master in honeyed tones. 

One of the fattest little boys in the front row 
came ambling shyly out, his fingers in his mouth. 

“That’s nice, Johnny; which elephant do you 
want to ride on?” 


148 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


The nearest elephant reared around dangerously, 
so Johnny pointed to the next one. That also began 
to caper, if elephants can be said to caper, while 
rear section, peeping out, said to front section, 
“That's Mabel Smith; I couldn’t hold her on my 
back a minute. I don’t know how much she weighs. 
Why didn’t they think to take some of the real 
little girls for this!” 

“They wanted to be in Tom Thumb’s party!” 

Owing to the press of school duties, this scene had 
not been rehearsed with the elephants, but to their 
relief, a strident voice from the audience called 
sharply, “Johnny Jones, come back here! You know 
it ain’t safe to ride on elephants!” A lady apparent¬ 
ly of the deadly variety came stalking forth to lead 
away her venturesome offspring. 

“O, yes, ladies and gents, it is perfectly safe!” 
the ringmaster assured the audience, whereat Catha- 
lina brought little “Tommy” into the ring. 

Now Tommy forgot that he had been warned 
to ascend carefully, and inspired by the occasion, 
placed one hand on the back of the elephant and 
vaulted lightly and easily up. 

Crash! The elephant fell in, Tommy and all!— 
while to cover the confusion the band hastily marched 
from the side to the front and played strains from 
“Teddy in Africa”, with the appropriate bangs and 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


149 


explosions. Meanwhile the sections of elephant 
were reunited and Tommy, covered with sawdust, 
was dusted off. There followed a really fine ex¬ 
hibition by four of the most graceful gymnasts in 
the collegiate classes. They went through the dif¬ 
ferent feats learned by long practice under the 
“gym” teacher, and added the bows, waves and 
smirks of circus performers. 

The little girls, of course, had longed to dress 
up as grown folks. It was Cathalina’s bright idea 
to have them appear as midgets. They came on 
next and proved one of the most popular features of 
the evening, a surprise, for in the earlier part of 
the evening they had sold lemonade and popcorn 
and were dressed as butterflies. 

Next and last came a trained pig performance. 
The clever girl who managed this brought in all 
sorts of jokes upon the girls present. The pig 
proved to be a remarkable speller! It had been in¬ 
tended to have a lion taming act and a rope-walking 
“stunt”, but, alas, it was necessary to get through 
by bedtime. 

Hilary, who had been in the band, declared her 
voice ruined by the efforts of the evening. 

“O, Cathalina,” yawned Isabel, as they all as¬ 
cended in the elevator, “I wish I ‘wuz* somebody’s 
little boy to be put to bed!” 


150 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


‘‘I’ll do it, Tommy,” offered Cathalina, who was 
herself ready to drop. 

“Thank you, my dear young ‘maw’, but you will 
go straight to your downy couch. Goodnight, 
ladies!” and Isabel ran clumping in her heavy shoes, 
like the boy she looked, down the corridor to her 


room. 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


151 


CHAPTER XIII. 

THE MYSTERIOUS GIRL. 

Pretty little Cathalina was buried deep in a big 
velvet chair in one of the parlors, looking out at 
the first snow which was swirling down and bid fair 
to cover everything before morning. The heavy 
clouds had threatened snow before dinner when she 
and Hilary had taken a long walk, down to the 
beach, up through the grove and to the hill be¬ 
yond. It was quite dark now, but the porch light 
shone out to where the masses of shrubbery were 
growing heavy with their soft burden and dark pine 
trees were being outlined in white. 

Cathalina’s chair had happened to be turned with 
its back toward the room, though it was on one side 
of the long French window. It was nearly time for 
the evening study bell and the groups of girls that 
had been chatting in the parlors or gathered about 
the piano had disappeared. Cathalina felt that she 
must rouse herself from her rather drowsy comfort 
and get upstairs to work on her lessons, when from 
behind her came a quiet footstep and a young girl 


152 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


in a clinging black dress slipped by the chair and 
stood in the window. Just then Alma came in and 
lowered the lights, turning off entirely the electric 
ones. 

Cathalina was rather timid about meeting new 
people, but very courteous when she had to do so; 
and now, when she saw that this was the new girl 
who had only been at Greycliff a few days, she rose 
from the chair with a pleasant, ‘‘Good evening.” 

The girl started a little and Cathalina went on, 
“O, excuse me, didn’t you see that anybody was 
there?” 

“No,” replied the recent arrival, without the 
courtesy of a smile. She held herself proudly and 
with her chin raised let her eyes drop from Catha- 
lina’s face to her feet with a comprehensive glance. 

“I’m sorry if I startled you. My name is Catha¬ 
lina Van Buskirk. I noticed that you just came a 
few days ago. I should be glad to be acquainted and 
if you are the least bit lonely there are some real 
nice girls here who would love to do anything for 
you.” 

“They couldn’t do me any good,” and the tears 
came to the new girl’s eyes, though her expression did 
not soften! “My father has just been—has just 
died and Mother made me come here!” There was 
a pause, while Cathalina wondered what to say. 
“Did you say your name is Van Buskirk?—from 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


153 


Holland ?” A little interest showed in the girl’s 
face. 

“O, no; not from Holland, except long ago when 
one of my ancestors came over and fought in tne 
Revolution. Fm from New York. I don’t think 
I know your name.” Another brief pause. 
‘T’m awfully sorry about your father. But 
maybe you’ll feel happier when you get started 
in your work and get around with the girls. I was 
sure that I never could stand it to leave home, but 
I just love it here now,” Cathalina’s tender heart 
was sorry and troubled for this young stranger with 
her aching heart; though she was somewhat chilled 
by the girl’s attitude. 

Just then the study bell rang, and with a bow, 
like that of one accustomed to a formal life, the new 
girl left Cathalina and hurried away. Cathalina 
stopped to pick up a notebook and her fountain pen 
from the chair in which she had been sitting and 
then walked thoughtfully upstairs, thinking as she 
went that she had not learned the name of the new¬ 
comer. “Where have I seen somebody like that be¬ 
fore?” she wondered. “And that manner?” But 
when she reached the suite there was a group of girls 
just leaving for their rooms and the merry chatter 
put an end to her thoughts about other things. 

A few days after this incident, Cathalina, with 
Betty Barnes, Isabel Hunt, Eloise Winthrop and 


154 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


Diane Percy were sitting in the window-seat at the 
head of the front stairs when this girl swiftly 
passed them and went on downstairs. 

“Isn’t she a beautiful girl?” said Diane. 

“Yes, but you can’t get acquainted with her,” 
replied Eloise. 

“Well, she’s just lost her father,—no wonder!” 
Cathalina said with sympathy. 

“Where’d she come from?” asked Isabel. 

“Nobody knows. She told one girl Cincinnati, 
another New York and Miss West said she was 
from Philadelphia. Did you see them come? The 
machine had an Ohio tag on it.” 

“O, did you see her come?” 

“Yes; Diane and Grace and I were standing on 
the porch. They came in a big closed Packard,— 
she and a woman that looked just like her, except 
that she had dark hair and a wider face. They 
weren’t expected, I’m sure, and they didn’t take 
out any baggage for a long time and were in Miss 
Randolph’s parlor for over an hour,—we must have 
been in the library an hour, weren’t we, Diane? 
And when we came back, there they were, coming 
down the steps. The chauffeur took in a lot of bag¬ 
gage and the girl came out and cried and carried on 
and would hardly let the woman go. She was in 
black, too. The chauffeur looked cross, what we 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


155 


could see of his face, and hustled the woman into 
the car and pointed the girl to the Hall!” 

“I bet he wasn't a chauffeur, then,—must have 
been one of the family. You don’t pay chauffeurs 
to boss you.” 

“Listen to Sherlock Holmes! What did he look 
like, Diane?” Cathalina was much interested. 

“I couldn’t tell how he looked, except cross, as 
Eloise says. He had a cap and goggles, you know, 
and was big and tall—and that’s all.” 

“ Tome’ by Diane Percy: ‘Big and tall, and that’s 
all/ ” 

“I can only talk in rhyme,” simpered Diane in 
falsetto. 

Eloise took up the story again: “Miss Randolph 
came out, then, looking worried, and we went on to 
our suite. I think she is very handsome, as Diane 
says, but there is something different about her,— 
I don’t know what it is, something that isn’t in her 
face and—O, I can’t tell what I do mean, but I’m sure 
I shall never try to make her acquaintance.” 

“But perhaps that is the very thing she needs,” 
said Cathalina. “I know how you feel when you 
are shy and sort of proud too,—” 

“O, you, Cathalina,” said Isabel, “you aren’t a 
bit like her. Your face is sweet and hers isn’t.” 

Cathalina then told of her experience in the recep¬ 
tion room. “We must be nice, anyway, and as 


156 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


good to her as possible, as she’ll let us be. I have 
a funny feeling that Fve seen her somewhere or 
some one with the same features, but I can’t re¬ 
member.” 

“Who’s her roommate?” 

“She is in the single room on the first floor, 
around at the end of the corridor running west from 
Miss Randolph’s rooms. She just goes around with 
her head in the air that way all the time, I guess, 
and unless she gets over it she’ll not make many 
friends.” 

“Well, let’s speak to her when she’ll let us. I 
have an idea that she’ll change after a while. I in¬ 
troduced myself, but she did not tell me her name. 
Do any of you know what it is?” 

Nobody did. 

“The Mysterious Girl of Single Room Number 
Blank! Betty, here’s our title for that story we have 
to write in English.” 

“Betty had hardly said a word during this con¬ 
versation, but now remarked, “I suppose there are 
girls here with queer stories in their lives. If we 
knew them we’d learn a whole lot.” 

“Yes; maybe it’s just as well we don’t. But I 
guess Miss Randolph is very careful about what 
girls come here. Aunt Knickerbocker said so.” 

This, Isabel declared, was mystery number one 
at Greycliff and what was a boarding school without 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


157 


some mystery? To mystery number two she was 
introduced that night, by no desire of her own. 

The Hall was wrapped in slumber, usually quite 
profound, for while the girls often grumbled about 
putting out lights on time, they slept soundly and 
morning came all too soon. But about midnight 
Cathalina and Hilary were wakened by a loud 
shriek that reverberated through the halls and was 
followed by another; then, silence. Both frightened 
girls sat up in bed and by one impulse slipped into 
bath robes and slippers and opened their door, peer¬ 
ing out, half afraid but curious, in the corridor. 
This was dark, lighted only by one dim gas light 
at the further end. But they could see Avalon’s 
ghostly face at her half open door and Isabel lean¬ 
ing against the wall not far away, her face hidden 
in her arm. She was shaking all over. “Sh-sh!” 
said Avalon, her first thought of the teachers. 

“What on earth’s the matter?” asked Hilary in 
a low voice. “Somebody was screaming to beat 
the band!” 

“O,” gasped Isabel, as she heard Hilary’s voice, 
and ran with open arms toward the two girls. “I 
was just scared to death,” she whispered. “O, I’ll 
not sleep one wink this night!” 

Cathalina went on toward Avalon, whom she 
found trembling with fright. “Come over to our 


158 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


room and tell us what the trouble was. Who 
screamed ?” 

“Isabel!” 

The girls hurried into suite fifty-two, as if Satan 
and his legions were after them, while Hilary was 
torn between a desire to laugh and curiosity to know 
what was the matter. “Get right into our beds,” or¬ 
dered Hilary. So Avalon with Cathalina and Isa¬ 
bel with Hilary crawled into the twin beds, which 
proved somewhat narrow for two. “Now tell us.” 

At this point there came a tap at the outer door 
and Hilary jumped up to answer it, while Isabel 
hastily put the covers over her head. “Who is it?” 
inquired Hilary, as she unlocked the door again. 

“Me,—Betty,” came the reply in Lilian’s voice. 
“We saw you all go in, and Isabel’s door open,—- 
what happened and what was that awful shriek?” 

“Come on in, we’re just going to hear about it, 
too. Isabel did the yelling. She was scared to 
death about something and the girls are in our beds 
with us. I don't know what we'll do with you!” 
Hilary laughed and pulled some blankets out of her 
cedar chest. “Here, take these and pile on the bed. I 
shut the windows down, but it's pretty chilly.” 

By this time Isabel had recovered from her first 
terror and felt strengthened by the number around 
her. She sat up in Hilary’s bed and leaned over 
toward the other girls to say solemnly, “Well, 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


159 


girls, you know the ‘Woman in Black’, don’t you? 
I saw her!” 

“Nonsense, Isabel, what is the ‘woman in black’, 
a ghost?” This was Hilary, of course. 

“You and Betty know about her, don’t you?” per¬ 
sisted Isabel, turning to Lilian. 

“Why, yes,” said Lilian. “There’s a tradition 
at Greycliff about a ‘Woman in Black’ that walks 
around the halls sometimes, so they say.” 

Avalon shivered and Cathalina put an arm around 
her. “Hurry up and tell us, Isabel. What did she 
look like and how did you happen to be in the hall 
or did she come into your room?” Cathalina was 
laughing, yet it was “sort of spooky”, as she ad¬ 
mitted later. 

“No, she did not come in. Avalon was feeling 
sick and finally had such a headache that I said I’d 
get up and go over to see if one of you did not 
have something that would help her. I didn’t want 
to go up to the third and wake Miss Wood and 
maybe have Avalon taken to the pest house, and 
anyhow I don’t like these old dark halls. So I 
was kind of sleepy and didn’t turn on the light in 
our room for fear some teacher would see it—and 
I just got out into the hall when I heard a sort of 
moan and something all black and floaty and tall, 
like a big shadow whisked by me and disappeared 
around the corner. So there!” 


160 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


“What's your story, Avalon? Got your headache 
yet?” 

“Not much; scared out of me, I guess. Why, I 
just heard Isabel scream and went to the door and 
saw you and Cathalina.” 

“Maybe it was a thief.” 

“Or one of the servants.” 

“Maybe it was the ‘mysterious girl’!” 

“What would she be doing snooping around on 
this floor at midnight?” 

“It’s a wonder all the girls are not awake—the 
way you screamed, Isabel.” 

“I couldn’t help it. Wouldn’t you have screamed 
too?” 

“I suppose I would, or maybe I’d be too frightened 
to make a sound! But I don’t believe it was a 
‘ghost’ or would hurt anybody. Come on, we’d bet¬ 
ter get to sleep. We’ll all take you and Avalon to 
your room and see that there isn’t anybody there 
and then you can lock your door.” 

“Wait till I fix Avalon some peppermint and 
soda,” said Hilary. “That’s Mother’s favorite rem¬ 
edy.” 

The peppermint and soda taken, a dose for Isabel 
as well, and the two younger girls were escorted 
back to their own beds, Avalon tucked in, while 
Isabel with her flashlight waited to lock the door 
after the girls had departed. Hilary had wanted to 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


161 


take flashlights down the halls and look for the 
‘Woman in Black’, but Cathalina said that it would 
be foolish to do it, for somebody bad might really 
be about and nobody wanted to find her—or him.” 

“Do you suppose we ought to wake up one of 
the teachers, then?” asked Hilary. 

“No; I believe Isabel imagined half, or eise it 
was one of the girls that had been sitting up study¬ 
ing and didn’t want to be caught or wanted to scare 
Isabel or something.” 

But the next morning Alma came to Isabel’s room 
and told her that Miss Randolph wanted to see her 
right away. Isabel immediately rushed to Catha¬ 
lina. “O, Cathalina, Alma says I’m to come to 
Miss Randolph’s room right away. ,What do you 
suppose she’s going to do to me ?” 

“Nothing, goosey, you haven’t done anything 
wrong.” 

“But I broke a rule to be out of my room.” 

“You had a good reason. Just tell her the way 
you would your own mother—,” then Cathalina 
wished she had not said just that, for Isabel had 
never even know her mother. “I mean that she 
is kind and nice.” 

“Well, anyhow, please,— please ; Cathalina, go 
with me!” 


162 


CATS ALIN A AT GREYCLIFF 


“O, that would not do at all if she did not send 
for me.” 

“Just to stay outside the door, then!” 

The two girls went downstairs together, Isabel 
to her doom, as she said, and Cathalina for moral 
support outside the door. Presently, Isabel came 
out, flushed and relieved, to join Cathalina and walk 
with her up to her suite. “What did Miss Ran¬ 
dolph do?” 

“She was just as nice as could be, said she had 
heard some of us were frightened last night and 
wanted me to tell her all about it. So I did. And 
all she said to me was that I'd better not say any¬ 
thing about it to frighten all the girls and that there 
wasn’t any such thing as a ghost, and that anyhow 
she is going to put on an extra night watchman, and 
have somebody go through the halls occasionally 
at night, ‘Not to make you feel that there is any 
danger, but that you are being watched over,’ she 
said. Isn’t she zvonderfulf” Miss Randolph had 
gained another staunch supporter in Isabel. 

“How do you suppose she found out? I’m going 
to ask every one who told her so early.” 

“Neither Hilary or I did, I’m sure.” And when 
later in the day the six girls met, not one of them 
was found to have taken the news to Miss Randolph. 

“Somebody must have overheard the girls talk¬ 
ing and told her. Or perhaps some one else was 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


1G3 


awake last night and knew it was Isabel.” So con¬ 
cluded Cathalina and the rest agreed. 

“But who was the ‘woman in black’? because I 
really saw one!” declared Isabel. “I’m going to be 
a Sherlock Holmes from now on,—that is, if I 
have time!” she wisely added. 


164 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER XIV. 

OFF TO THE CITY. 

As the “Fudge Club” opposition to Hilary as 
captain of the Junior Academy basketball team did 
not prove serious, she had been elected with very 
little campaigning on the part of her friends; for 
it was clear to all the girls that she was the best 
one for the office 

“Hilary knows the game, has lots of go and good 
sense and never loses her head!” So Juliet summed 
up the necessary characteristics of a good captain. 
Practice went on vigorously after the election to 
prepare for the tournaments, which would not take 
place until February. 

Thanksgiving came and went. Hilary went home 
to eat Thanksgiving dinner with her people and came 
back Saturday. As Philip Junior could not come 
home, Cathalina’s father and mother, who could 
not wait any longer to see her, visited Greycliff. 
Although they knew that Cathalina was well and 
happy, they were not quite prepared to see the active 
little girl who greeted them, and their pleasure can 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


165 


be imagined. “I’ve gained ten pounds, Mothery, 
and can hardly get into my clothes!” How proud 
she was of her beautiful, friendly mother and quiet, 
distinguished looking father! She brought her 
friends to meet them until Madame Sylvia said that 
she felt like a girl herself. A few of the teachers 
and girls who, like Hilary, lived comparatively near, 
had gone home or to house parties; but most of the 
Grey cliff folk remained and were served to turkey 
and all the accompaniments of a fine Thanksgiving 
dinner. 

Hilary was back in time to meet Cathalina’s par¬ 
ents before they left, and to her surprise and delight 
was invited to spend the Christmas vacation in New 
York. “O, Cathalina,” she cried afterward, “it must 
be a gl-orious dream! to visit in New Y'ork!” 

“Maybe you’ll be disappointed.” 

“O, no, I won’t. Tve never been to any real big 
city, like New York or Chicago; it takes money to 
travel.” 

“I suppose it does,” assented Cathalina, who was 
learning several things this year. Many truths, too, 
which she had known only in theory were here dis¬ 
played before her eyes; for example, what she had 
so often heard at home, that money can not supply 
brains or character, both of which are valuable in 
the class room. 


166 


CATHALINA AT GKEYCLIFF 


So the busy days went by. Snow and ice shrouded 
the charms of Greycliff. The voice of the lake grew 
louder, but that of the little river was stilled, and 
after school hours, flying skaters in green, blue, red 
or orange sweaters, or in gay mackinaws glided up 
or down stream. The war was on in Europe, but the 
hearts of the young people in America were still 
light. 

Then came a day when the last class was over, 
packing completed, and Cathalina and Hilary on 
their way to New York. They felt very old and im¬ 
portant to be traveling “on their own hook”, as Hil¬ 
ary expressed it. To be sure, for the first five or six 
hours, five or six other Greycliff girls kept them 
company. An art teacher, also, was their chaperone 
to the place where they changed to the through train. 
Then Philip was to meet them at the New York 
Central station and see them home. However, for 
most of the way they were taking care of them¬ 
selves and held on to their purses and tickets for 
dear life. 

“I never felt so stylish, Cathalina! Wasn’t Aunt 
Hilary a dear to send me these lovely furs ?” 

“You are as sweet as can be, Hilary. That dark 
red coat is so becoming, with your pink cheeks. I’ll 
have to rub mine.” 

Hilary gave Cathalina an admiring glance. “Why, 
you always look as if you came from ‘Pahree’! And 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF m 

you are the beauty with that grey-blue coat and 
those sweet furs. You must pose as the spirit of 
Greycliff in our tableaux. Is my hat on straight? 
I’ll never get over my surprise when I opened Aunt 
Hilary’s Christmas package.” 

“It was nice of them all to send your Christmas 
presents before you left.” 

“They knew I needed ’em,—blessed people!” 

“Philip will enjoy a taste of June’s cream candy. 
Nobody at our house can make anything like it.” 

“Give him all he can eat, then.” But Hilary had 
her suspicions by this time that at the Van Buskirk 
home Cathalina and Philip could have the best of 
candy or anything else they wanted. 

There was a furious snow storm outside. People 
who came in shook off snow and breezes of stinging 
air penetrated even to the comfortable coach in 
which the two girls were cosily settled. Cathalina 
had visions of stalled trains and delays such as she 
had known before. But she said nothing of her 
fears to Hilary and was relieved when, as they sped 
on, the snow stopped. 

It was Hilary’s first experience on a sleeper. At 
first she thought she never could go to sleep. But 
at last the novelty wore off and the monotonous 
noise of the car wheels lulled her to sleep. She 
knew no :r.oie till Cathalina wakened her. “Hurry 
up, Hilary, we must get dressed as quickly as pos- 


168 


CATHALINA AT GKEYCLIFF 


sible. I overslept. 0, you needn’t rush, but don’t 
waste any time. If you look out you see the beauti¬ 
ful old Hudson in its winter dress. We are com¬ 
ing down on the east side.” 

“We needed our little alarm clock, didn’t we?” 
and Hilary chuckled at the thought of an alarm 
clock on a sleeper. 

“But Cathalina, who often took Hilary’s jokes 
seriously, replied, “We could have had the porter 
call us.” Leadership was reversed now. Hilary, 
who guided Cathalina with kindness and efficiency 
through the mysteries of school life was glad to fol¬ 
low Cathalina’s superior knowledge of what to do 
when traveling. They found that there was more 
time than they had supposed, for the train was late; 
and for some time after their berth was again con¬ 
verted into the ordinary Pullman seat they sat watch¬ 
ing the wintry scenery. The obsequious attentions 
of the porter to Cathalina and, indeed, to herself, 
amused Hilary very much. She had rather opened 
her eyes at the tip she saw Cathalina give him the 
evening before. She, too, had learned something, 
not so valuable, perhaps, as some of Cathalina’s les¬ 
sons, about the extra attention which money can 
secure. The porter brushed them off, took their 
bags, and in a moment it seemed, they were out of 
the train and hurrying with the crowd. 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


169 


‘‘There’s Phil!’' said Cathalina joyously, though 
Hilary noticed at once how quiet was her voice and 
manner. “I guess they don’t shout across the street 
at each other in New York,” she thought with her 
usual humor. 

“Is this Miss Lancaster?” 

“My brother, Hilary,” and Hilary looked up into 
the smiling face of Philip Van Buskirk Junior. The 
checks were passed over to the chauffeur, Hilary re¬ 
ceived a confused impression of the big station, and 
then found herself being helped into a comfortable, 
warm car and tucked in rugs by this same handsome 
host who kept up a good-humored flow of com 
versation with Cathalina. She was one question 
mark at first, according to Phil, who gave her an 
account of himself and the family as she inquired. 
Hilary was too much interested in the sights and 
sounds of the city to say an unnecessary word. 

“The streets are in pretty good shape considering 
the snow we’ve had,” Philip was saying. 

“It isn’t so cold today either,” added Cathalina. 
“O, dear old New York! I’m so glad to be home 
again!” 

“And how glad Mother and Father will be to have 
you, Cat, nobody but me—” 

“O, please don’t call me that, Phil! I did hope 
that none of the girls would ever hear that nick¬ 
name!” Cathalina gave Hilary an imploring look. 


170 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


Hilary responded nobly. ‘Til never tell, or call 
you that myself,” she declared. 

“Kathleen, then,” said Phil, laughing, “Is that 
better?” 

“Yes; and if it is sentimental I like it best when 
you call me Kathleen Mavourneen.” 

“O, that’s just because it makes me think of the 
song, you know,” and Phil looked at Cathalina teas- 
ingly. But Cathalina slipped her arm through his 
and he patted her hand. 

Hilary was quite impressed and wondered if either 
of her brothers could ever be as much like her 
father as Philip was like Mr. Van Buskirk. “It 
doesn’t look much like it now,” she thought, recalling 
the often grimy hands and boisterous speech of Gor¬ 
don and Tom. Stealing a glance at Philip, she con- 
eluded that he did not look like a “sissy-boy” either, 
and that the little chaps would change when the time 
came. She felt as if she were in a dream as she 
was whirled along to stop before a fine mansion in 
a picturesque setting of snow-covered shrubbery and 
trees. 

The two girls tripped up the steps, Philip follow¬ 
ing to ring the bell for them. “Sorry not to stop 
now,” said he, “but Father has a matter for me to 
look after as soon as possible.” Touching his hat, 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 171 

Philip started back to the car as the smiling Watts 
opened the door and received the bags from the 
chauffeur. 

“Deserted! ’ cried Cathalina, “but that’s the way 
with boys.” Then as they entered the warm, beauti¬ 
ful hall, there was Mrs. Van Buskirk hurrying to 
meet them. 

“And here’s my other girl!” she said, drawing 
Hilary also into motherly arms. “Cold?” 

“No, but hungry,” replied Cathalina. “We slept 
late and have quite an appetite, at least I have. Do 
we have to wait?” 

“No, indeed,” and Mrs. Van Buskirk led the way 
to the dining room. 

“Hot chocolate, Mamma?” Cathalina suggested. 

Hot chocolate there was with other good things 
duly served, while Mrs. Van Buskirk wondered 
and was thankful to see her little girl eat with the 
normal school girl’s appetite. 

Hilary felt almost lost as she slipped through the 
big rooms with Cathalina. Etta was unpacking when 
the girls reached Cathalina’s room. 

“Where are Hilary’s things?” 

“In the rose room, Miss Cathalina; I just finished 
in there.” 

“Mother’s given you the room across from mine, 
Hilary,—will you be lonesome? If you are, you 
can come and sleep with me.” 


172 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


“O, no,” Hilary answered. “Eve always had to 
share my room with June or little Mary, so it will 
be lovely to have a room of my own—though, of 
course, I’d love to be with you.” 

Cathalina laughed. “I understand perfectly, 
Hilary. Come and see how you like it.” 

“O, what a dear of a room!” Hilary stopped just 
inside to feast her eyes. 

“I like this room too, and came very near taking 
it after it was decorated; but blue is my color, after 
all, and I stick to my own room.” 

The rose room was not quite so large as Cath- 
alina’s. Its furniture and woodwork were of some 
very dark wood, Hilary did not know what. She had 
an impression of handsome furniture, pale pink to 
rose color upon white or gray tones, in walls and 
draperies. Pink and white silk curtains were at the 
windows. The dainty dressing table was fitted with 
silver. 

‘‘Now I’m going to leave you to yourself for a 
little while, Hilary,—we can clean up and I feel like 
another nap before lunch. There is paper and every¬ 
thing in the desk there if you want to write home. 
Do you want Etta to help you with your bath?” 

“Mercy no!” said frank Hilary, “I wouldn’t know 
what to do being waited on.” 

“All right. I see she has put everything out that 
you’ll need. Better just get into bed for a little 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 173 

while like me. I’ll have her get the bath ready for 
you.” 

Cathalina rang for Etta, showing Flilary where the 
various conveniences of the room were, then thank¬ 
fully went into her own room to wait for Etta to 
come to her. “O, how good it is to be home!” 

Meanwhile Flilary walked around the exquisite 
room and peeped into its tiled bathroom. From the 
windows she looked out on snow-covered roofs and 
a far-stretching city. Next, she investigated the 
bureau and chiffonier drawers where Etta had neatly 
placed her clothing. In the closet her frocks hung 
in a row on silken hangers. 

“I see why Cathalina used to catch herself up 
sometimes when she started to say things! Of course 
I knew that she must have a nice home, but I did 
not dream of this.” She stood before a long mirror 
for a moment, seeing a pretty, wholesome, vigorous 
looking girl, with a frank, attractive face, clear, 
steady grey eyes and a pleasant mouth. 

“I shall have to pinch myself to make sure I’m 
not dreaming all this elegance. I wonder what they 
are doing at home!” Hilary went back to the win¬ 
dow where she sat looking out wistfully. “It will 
be my first Christmas away from home. I hope 
they’ll miss me,—but there, this will never do!” 
She hopped up to avoid tears which would not be 
appropriate at all in a girl who was having as delight- 


174 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


ful an opportunity as was hers on this visit, and 
going to the desk she began a letter home. 

“Just think,” she wrote, “here I am in New York, 
going to ride down Broadway—and Fifth Avenue— 
and Riverside Drive—and see the statue of Liberty 
holding up her little old torch, and go to the top of 
the Woolworth building, and who knows what else? 
I’ll remember and tell you everything!” But just 
here Etta came in and no more was written till bath 
and a long nap had refreshed two tired little girls. 


CAT'HALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


175 


CHAPTER XV. 

CHRISTMAS AT CATHALINA^S. 

Two days passed before Christmas. In that time 
Hilary became somewhat familiar with her sur¬ 
roundings and even at home. For, in spite of the 
luxurious rooms and well-trained servants, the at¬ 
mosphere of the Van Buskirk home was one of sim¬ 
ple and cordial hospitality. If Hilary had been their 
own, the family could not have made her more wel¬ 
come. Even Mr. Van Buskirk, as she wrote to her 
mother, considered her “worth talking to”. Philip 
Junior teased her a little as he teased Cathalina, and 
yet in a quiet, brotherly way looked after them both, 
to help on the good time. 

There was one delirious day of shopping in the 
wonderful stores. Hilary had never seen anything 
like the glittering Christmas display. Mrs. Van 
Buskirk took the girls from one bewildering shop to 
another. Shopping was not so tiresome when a 
fine limousine was waiting to carry you from place 
to place. 


176 


CATHALINA AT GEEYCLIFF 


“I thought you’d like it!” and Cathalina’s eyes 
sparkled. The winter cold had made her cheeks as 
rosy as Hilary’s and she was enjoying it all doubly, 
for herself and for her guest. 

“But I want so many things that I haven’t bought 
anything! I want to take them each something, 
you know.” 

“O, well, there’ll be something left even after 
Christmas, you know, and you can buy your presents 
then. Mamma bought most of my presents for me. 
She knew I wouldn’t have any time.” 

“Let us just enjoy the sights and the Christmas 
cheer,” said Mrs. Van Buskirk, who was not hurry¬ 
ing about, like many of the shoppers. “Our gifts 
are for the most part wrapped and labeled.” But 
Hilary with great delight watched her purchase a 
few beautiful things. 

They lunched at what Hilary described to June 
as a very grand place, where Hilary left the order¬ 
ing to her more experienced hostesses. Then Hil¬ 
ary did make a few modest purchases, having by 
this time found out what she wanted, and went 
home, tired but delighted, to spend Christmas Eve. 

The cousins had been in and out several times since 
Hilary came, but she declared that she never would 
get the names and relationships straight. 

“Never mind, Hilary; they are all as nice and full 
of fun as can be and you will clear it all up when 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 177 

you see us all together at the Christmas dinner. 
Really, there haven’t been so many. Honestly, now, 
did you think that was a new lot that we met at 
lunch ?” 

“No, not all of them, but I had a hard time re¬ 
membering which was which.” 

“And you a minister’s daughter!” 

“I’ve been too dazzled here, Cathalina. You must 
make allowances for a weak mind!” 

“The trouble today was that they all had different 
clothes on.” 

“Yes, that was one thing. Then I met a Maria 
yesterday and an Ann Maria today and they were 
so alike—I liked her or both!” 

“It’s just one girl, our jolly old Ann Maria, and 
‘Cousin Elizabeth’ and ‘Cousin Libbie’ are the 
same,—Mrs. Van Ness. She was the pretty lady in 
gray. And that perfect dear in the mink furs,—do 
you remember her? That was Aunt Mate or Aunt 
Mary,—Mrs. Hart. She is always making every¬ 
body feel comfortable in their minds. Then we 
have two Charlottes. You’ll see.” 

“You don’t blame me, do you, Philip ?” and Hilary 
whirled around to where Phil sat reading by the 
library fire. 

“Indeed I don’t. Anybody that could get the 
Van Nesses and Van Buskirks and all the rest of 
’em in two or three days would be a wonder.” 


178 CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


‘‘Good! Where's June’s candy? Take it all, 

Philip r 

“Thanks, kind lady, what else can I do for you?” 

“O, Phil, get your guitar and sing college songs 
for us,—do!” As Cathalina spoke she started for the 
instrument. 

“Can’t possibly tonight. We’ll have a sing to¬ 
morrow night, all hands of us. Besides,” here Philip 
coughed affectedly and finished on a high falsetto, 
“I have such a cold!” 

Cathalina laughed. “All right till after dinner. 
You know Father and Mother always want some 
music on Christmas Eve.” 

At bedtime the two girls undressed before Hilary’s 
fire. Cathalina thought that Hilary might be lonely 
on Christmas Eve, so she dismissed Etta and they 
chatted by themselves. 

“Isn’t Christmas the most beautiful time? Will 
you go to church tomorrow?” 

“Yes; Father and Mother always go. O, I want 
you to hear a wonderful Christmas service, chimes 
and everything!” 

“How cold and still it is tonight!” 

“If you can call a city still. Of course it really 
is not noisy out here, and anyway when you get used 
to a city you don’t hear things any more than the 
ticking of our little alarm clock.” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


179 


“You only need to mention alarm clock to prove 
it. Do you remember how I can sleep through all 
the din?” Both girls laughed at the memories of 
certain early morning hours. “But you don’t know 
how queer I feel sometimes, Cathalina, as if this is 
a story and nothing is real.” 

“It seems real enough to me. Haven’t I the dear¬ 
est father and mother and brother?” 

“Having some of my own I could not say ‘dear¬ 
est’, but they are just wonderful. And why didn’t 
you tell me, Cathalina, that you lived like this ?” 

“Well, Hilary, of course, I’m used to my dear 
home and would not have thought much about it 
if Mother and Father had not warned me. They said 
if I wanted to be happy and have the girls feel 
free with me and maybe love me a little, I must 
do as the rest do and not ever hint about having a 
maid or anything. Then they said, as usual, that 
it is what you are and not what you have that counts 
and they were anxious to see if I could get along 
without being waited on and amount to something 
myself.” 

At Hilary’s wondering look she continued: “Of 
course they were too kind to put it just that way, 
but I really thought that they must be disgusted with 
me,—and how I cried, all to myself! But I made up 
my mind to it and thought at first that I’d show 
everybody I could stay and work hard at my les- 


180 


CATHALINA AT GKEYCLIFF 


sons! Then I liked Greycliff and the girls so well 
that I forgot all about the beginning or why I went 
there. I’ve just been understanding since I came 
back home how worried they must have been 
about me.” 

“I suppose you felt almost as queer at Greycliff 
as I do here. Still, it’s a big place there and they 
have servants too. I don’t know how this immense 
house would have looked to me if I had not been to 
Greycliff first.” 

Cathalina laughed. “But this is a home . It is 
a big old thing, but I love it. You ought to see 
some of the other places here. Ours would not seem 
so much for size, then. But come on, Hilary-Dil¬ 
lary, we’re going to hang up our stockings just like 
kiddies tonight,—in the den next to my room. Phil 
promises to do it too, just for fun, as we used to. 
Did you see Mother buying that horn and jumping- 
jack?” 

“Yes; I thought it was for some little chap in 
the family.” 

“It was for her little kiddie-boy.” 

* * * * 

Christmas morning was shining with the com¬ 
bined radiance of sun and snow. 

“Merry Christmas, Phil!” Cathalina in negligee 
and slippers pounded on Phil’s door. Heavy breath¬ 
ing, somewhat exaggerated, greeted her. 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


181 


“Merry Christmas, Hilary! O, I caught you! 
You couldn’t hear that old scamp at the end of the 
hall. I know he was awake, but you’ll see, he’ll 
come pounding on our door when he hears us talk¬ 
ing in here,—and pretend that he never heard me 
at all.” Cathalina shook off her slippers and with 
the bulging stockings she settled herself by Hilary. 
“I left Phil’s by his door. He won’t care much, 
but he may pretend he does to please me.” 

Etta appeared to light the gas in the grate. She 
laughed in response to their calls of “Merry Christ¬ 
mas”. Going to a drawer in the chiffonier, she 
drew out two fleecy wraps which she put around 
the excited girls. 

“Now you take out one, Hilary, and then I’ll 
take one. I feel just like little ‘Catty Buskirk’ 
aged five. It’s just as well that we're starting early, 
because you and I, and Phil, if we can get him to 
help, are to decorate the Christmas tree. Loads of 
things came in yesterday and I imagine more will 
come this morning.” 

“For all ‘your sisters and your cousins and your 
aunts’?” asked Hilary, as she felt again of the 
knobs in the stocking and drew out first a rectangu¬ 
lar package. “My, look at the yellow satin bow!” 
she cried, as she unwrapped a candy box accom¬ 
panied by Philip’s card and the familiar inscription 
“Sweets to the sweet.” 


182 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


“Phil brought home a great box of sweets that 
you will get later,” said Cathalina, accepting a bon¬ 
bon and starting to unwrap a similar package. This 
is just like yours. Mother was pretending to whisk 
something out of sight that he gave her.” 

“That is the fun about Christmas. Everything 
is so jolly and mysterious. But you have such loads 
of things all the time that I shouldn’t think it would 
be so much fun.” 

“Yes it is. Really, Hilary, we can’t have every¬ 
thing as you think, especially sweets and jewelry 
and little gems of things in pictures and books and 
—O, plenty of things. And all the Van Buskirks and 
Van Nesses and the rest just love the Christmas 
fun. The ‘mysteriouser’ everything is the better.” 

All the simple things that ought to be in any 
well-regulated stocking were in theirs. There was 
even a stick of old-fashioned peppermint candy, 
wrapped in a slender package as if very precious 
and marked by Mr. Van Buskirk, while Mrs. Van 
Buskirk had contributed a china doll for each. It 
was tiny and dressed in a crochet frock after a fash¬ 
ion of years ago. 

“They carried out the idea of kiddies with us, too, 
didn’t they? Isn’t it fun to slip your hand down 
and feel the little packages?” 

Hilary found two gold hat pins from Mrs. Van- 
Buskirk and a bottle of the very best violet perfume 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


183 


from Mr. Van Buskirk. Then, down in the toe was 
a small package with a card marked, “Merry Christ¬ 
mas to Hilary from her loving roommate, Catha¬ 
lina.” 

Cathalina’s color rose as she said, “I do hope 
you’ll like it!” 

Hilary lifted the little hinged cover. 

“O, Cathalina! It matches the pendant! How 
did you know that I love rings better than any¬ 
thing else? But, honey, you give me these lovely 
things, and what shall I do?” 

“I’ll show you.” Cathalina took the flashing little 
ring from between the satin pads and slipped it on 
Hilary’s finger. “ ‘With this ring I thee’—present! 
Good, it fits. Do you remember when I was trying 
my sapphire ring on your finger down by the lake 
one day?” 

“Was that it!” exclaimed Hilary, turning her 
well-shaped hand to see the opal flash green and 
red in the light from the fire. Like the pendant, 
the ring had its tiny diamonds, too. “How beauti¬ 
ful it is!” 

“Look inside,” suggested Cathalina. 

Hilary drew off the narrow circlet and read the 
fine letters, “C. to H. Greycliff.” 

Cathalina’s stocking was almost a duplicate of 
Hilary’s, but in the toe she found a dainty wrist 
watch. She already had an exquisite little watch, 


184 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


but this was in a style for which she had expressed 
a desire. 

“Rah-rah for Greycliff!” cried Cathalina rather 
irrelevantly, waving the empty stocking, and slid 
out of bed. Etta came promptly at her ring and 
assisted both girls. It was Hilary’s first experience 
at having a maid do her hair. She sat still with 
sparkling eyes, thinking of the vivid description 
which she could give June and the boys of little 
Hilary in the lap of luxury. 

“Toot-toot!” and “tat-tat” on their door. “Merry 
Christmas, ladies!” 

“Merry Christmas, you old fraud!” responded 
Cathalina. “I called ‘Merry Christmas’ hours ago 
and you heard me too, didn’t you now, Philly?” 

“Couldn’t I have been asleep?” 

“Yes, you could, but you weren’t.” 

“So long,” said Philip; “I smell turkey. Toot- 
toot.” 

“They did give him that horn! Isn’t it awful? 

. We’ll hang that and my ‘dollie’ on the tree.” 

“Is everybody coming to dinner?” 

“Yes; the whole ‘gens’, root and branch!” 

“Don’t quote Latin; it makes me think of Dr. 
Carver. Poor thing, I hope she has a nice Christ¬ 
mas!” 

“Why ‘poor thing’ ? She looks down on us! And 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


185 


besides, since the ‘Herr Professor’ came, she lives 
in hopes, as Ann Maria says.” 

“My! Do lady Ph.D’s ever get married?” 

“How should I know?” returned Cathalina sauci¬ 
ly. “Ready, Plilary ? Come on, then to hot waffles 
and real maple syrup!” 

With arms around each other, they started in step 
down the stairway and began to sing a Christmas 
carol. Philip, appearing in the drawing room door, 
joined in with a clear baritone. Then Mr. and Mrs. 
Van Buskirk came from the library to join the 
young people and they all went singing to the dining 
room. 


/■ 


186 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER XVI. 

WHEN THE CLAN GATHERED. 

“I suppose that Christmas Eve is really the time 
for Christmas trees,” said Cathalina, as she straight¬ 
ened a candle on the tree and hung another silver 
ball where it would show to the best advantage. 
“But everybody wants to be in his own home then, 
and anyway Cousin John couldn’t get in until late 
last night and Uncle Mart was to get in this noon. 
He’s been South on business.” 

The family dinner was to be early on account of 
the smaller fry. At five o’clock darkness had fal¬ 
len, the Van Buskirk home was aglow from every 
window and the family waiting. The tree was in 
what Hilary called the back parlor, separated from 
the room at the front by pillars and draperies. As 
Cathalina flitted about the tree looking like a sweet 
Christmas fairy, Hilary sat almost lost in a great 
chair, enjoying the beauty of the tree and of the 
warm, spacious room with its fine pictures and taste¬ 
ful appointments. 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


187 


“There!” cried Cathalina at last, and pressing 
the electric button left the room dark, except for 
such light as came in from other well lighted rooms. 
“They’ll all come at once,” continued Cathalina, 
perching on the arm of Hilary’s chair. 

“How can the children wait all day for their 
presents ?” 

“O, they have most of them at home, but they 
do look forward to the big family tree. I used to 
be crazy about the time when I would see Santa 
Claus. O, isn’t it fine, Hilary, to have you here and 
everybody coming! Katy never gave me a look 
when I peeped into the kitchen a while ago. She 
was bossing the whole crew,—wouldn’t hear to the 
caterer Mother had suggested to the housekeeper. 
And we’re lucky to have her and her good homey 
cooking. Some of Mother’s friends have such times. 
Mrs. Utley has millions of money, but when her lit- 
tlest kiddie had been out with his nurse and exposed 
to small pox, the whole set left and she had to get 
along by herself a while. If you knew her you 
would understand how funny it was. I have for¬ 
gotten how long they were quarantined, but nobody 
was sick.—O, there they come!” Cathalina rose 
and spun around on her slippered toes, her light 
dress floating around her. Hilary rose, too, in some 
inward excitement, and shook out the lines of her 
prettiest “party frock”, which was quite as nice as 


188 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


Cathalina’s; for Mrs. Van Buskirk had not changed 
her ideas in regard to simplicity for young girls. 

Watts in his most elegant style was admitting the 
guests whose merry voices drew the girls to the 
hall. Young laughter, little Charlotte’s shrill treble. 
Uncle Knickerbocker’s kind bass tones, the cheery 
greetings and ‘‘Merry Christmases” of old and young 
soon filled the house with cheer. Several of the 
children could not resist the shining bannisters and 
slid down triumphantly before their elders could 
stop them. The company rapidly increased in a 
truly informal gathering where common interests 
and affection made everything natural and sponta¬ 
neous. 

Hilary watched it all with fascinated eyes in the 
the intervals of being presented, though she little 
dreamed how closely her life was to be connected 
with this family group. Having met many people 
in her few years, she noted the correct speech, intel¬ 
ligent faces and general air of content and ease. 
Philip Van Buskirk was the only man of large 
wealth among them, but most of the family con¬ 
nection were in comfortable circumstances, accus¬ 
tomed to the atmosphere of education and culture. 
With Aunt Knickerbocker, Hilary quite fell in love. 
That lady, as usual, wore soft black silk with white 
lace. A faint odor of violets always clung to any 
possession of Katherine Knickerbocker’s,—her 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


189 


gloves, or scarf, and tonight she wore the flowers 
themselves. She held Hilary’s hand, looking at her 
with kind, shrewd eyes and a pleasant smile. Her 
chin was lifted, her head tipped a little sidewise, as 
she welcomed Hilary. Then with a low laugh and 
a quick little movement she gathered Hilary close 
to her side, and keeping an arm around her, drew 
her along to meet some of the rest. 

‘‘Charlotte, this is the fine girl that rooms with 
Cathalina at Greycliff. Miss Randolph has written 
many complimentary things about her. Hilary, 
this is Mrs. Stuart, Cathalina’s aunt. Come here, 
Sara Stuart, I want you to meet Cathalina’s friend. 
Introduce her, please, to Emily and Campbell.” 

Thus Hilary was passed around or waited till 
the young people were brought to her. From the 
oldest, who was Uncle Knickerbocker with snow- 
white hair, to wee “Sh’lotte Mee- nia”, they all took 
Hilary into their hearts and made her one of them. 
She was greatly interested, of course, in John Van 
Ness and his sweetheart, Juliet King. This was 
Juliet’s first visit with the family since the engage¬ 
ment was announced. 

“Isn’t she lovely?” whispered Cathalina, “not ex¬ 
actly pretty, either, but so—charming. Look at 
John; he can’t keep his eyes away from her.” 

When dinner was announced, Philip Van Buskirk 
escorted Aunt Katherine, while Uncle Knicker- 


190 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


bocker, gallantly and with much joking, tucked Syl¬ 
via’s hand in his arm. Among the youngsters, 
Philip Junior took out Hilary, which made her feel 
very grand and grown up. 

The dining room was ablaze with light, reflected 
in the glittering cut glass and shining silver. Two 
long tables were decked in Christmas trimmings. 
Here, as in the other rooms, poinsettias, holly and 
mistletoe were in evidence and lovely cut flowers 
gave fragrance. Watts was in his element and the 
pretty maids wore sprigs of holly in their caps. 

There was a slight disturbance when little Char¬ 
lotte found that she had been expected to sit by her 
mother instead of with the younger generation at 
their table. But at Sylvia’s nod, Watts whisked the 
high-chair to the other table, next to Charlotte’s 
sister. 

With bowed heads they listened to Uncle Knicker¬ 
bocker’s long grace. Louise was somewhat inatten¬ 
tive because of various wigglings on the part of her 
small charge; and Will was guilty of a suppressed 
giggle as out of one eye he watched Charlotte’s at¬ 
tempts to speak and Louise with her finger on the 
child’s lips. Her shrill voice piped out as soon as 
the blessing was asked: “But I don’t see any 
turkey!” A general ripple of amusement went 
round; then the hum of conversation began. 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 191 

Philip sat at one end of the children's table, 
Cathalina at the other. “The whole tribe is here, 
isn’t it?” asked Campbell Stuart, a tall, good-look¬ 
ing young fellow who sat between Hilary and Ann 
Maria. “Can you get the hang of our relatives 
yet, Miss Hilary?” 

“Not yet.” 

“It’s really very simple, as our Trig professor 
says,” Campbell continued. “Now that they are 
together at table it would be a good time to get a 
fine general idea of the various groups. (I quote 
again, from our distinguished history professor!) 
Let us start in on the other table.” Campbell 
straightened his shoulders and made an appropriate 
gesture. 

“That’s old Peppy Brown to perfection,” said 
Phil, “but nixy on the family history, please.” 

“It will only take a minute, Phil, brace up. Of 
course you know Aunt and Uncle Knickerbocker. 
Then that gentleman with the very black hair, on 
the other side of Aunt Sylvia, is Martin Van Bus- 
kirk. He is a good scout and you’ll like him. He’s 
named for the Martin Van Buskirk who came over 
from Holland, fought in the Revolutionary war and 
married Maria Van Ness. Uncle Mart says he does 
not know which took the most courage,—with no 
reflection on his bride intended. Uncle Mart’s a 
bachelor himself. 


192 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


'‘Next to him is my mother, and right opposite 
is Father with Aunt Adaline Wallace, another of 
Uncle Phil's five sisters. ,, 

Hilary gasped and laughed. 

“Now we’ll pick them out/’ Campbell went on. 
In schoolboy style he entertained Hilary for some 
minutes with his lively description of uncles, aunts 
and cousins on both sides of the house. 

“Do they all live in New York?” inquired Hilary. 

“No, but near, except Aunt Lois. She’s teach¬ 
ing in Virginia. We live in Brooklyn this winter, 
but are going out to stay at Cousin Lib’s tonight 
after the fun. You know Father is related to her 
too, so we’re all double cousins.” 

“Mercy, Campbell!” exclaimed Louise Van Ness. 

“You are getting Hilary more mixed than ever. 
Forget it, Hilary. Do tell us, Campbell, or Philip, 
how it happened that your famous old team lost 
that last game!” 

No more effectual means could have been devised 
for changing the subject. Both boys eagerly began 
to explain how it happened, by a series of unlooked 
for accidents, together with the unfairness of the 
referee that the football team had been defeated! 

“It couldn’t have been, of course,” whispered Sara 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


193 


to Ann Maria, “that the other team played a better 
game! Aren’t boys funny!” 

Will and Nan were keeping the fun going at 
the other end of the table and were ably assisted by 
Charles and Henry Wallace, two polite but irre¬ 
pressible lads who had been promised all the turkey 
they could eat if they would behave like gentlemen 
at Uncle Philip’s. Any resentment at reproof which 
they may have felt they were taking out in an ex¬ 
cess of polite behaviour, especially to each other, 
with droll remarks which kept Cathalina convulsed 
with laughter most of the time. 

After the dinner came the tree. Hilary had 
helped decorate, but did not realize how like fairy¬ 
land the place would look, with the candles lit and 
the little electric bulbs shining among the branches. 
No other lights were on in the room, that the big 
tree might stand out in all its glory. Some of the 
branches were frosted with a sparkling dust, and 
hung by invisible wires from above, a Christmas 
angel spread white wings. For a moment, every 
one was silent. Even little Charlotte drew a sigh 
of rapture. “Peace on earth,” murmured Aunt 
Katherine. 

Then Charlotte ran up to the tree. “I see my 
dollie!” she cried, lifting baby hands and arms to 
the big doll which she knew must be hers. 


194 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


‘‘And here's old Santa Claus!” said Ann Maria, 
calling Charlotte's attention to young Philip, much 
padded, with long white beard and great fur over¬ 
coat. Exclamations of delight greeted the gifts, al¬ 
ways especially nice at Aunt Sylvia’s; for she took 
the opportunity to remember generously a few of 
the young people not quite so abundantly provided 
for as Philip, and Cathalina, and, indeed, tried in 
every way to find out the real heart’s desire of each. 

Hilary found herself with an armful of presents, 
several books for which she had been longing, a 
dainty scarf which was one of the pretty things 
picked up on Sylvia’s last trip abroad, a flashlight, 
a traveling case, a dozen fine handkerchief’s, some 
stationery and candy. She turned to Mr. Van Bus- 
kirk and said earnestly, “O, how can I accept all 
these lovely presents when I’ye given next to noth¬ 
ing to you!" 

Philip Senior placed his hands lightly over her 
shoulders: “Hilary, child, you have done more al¬ 
ready for my little girl in lessons of self-reliance and 
devotion to work than these baubles and trifles could 
ever do for you.” And Hilary was comforted. 

“Clear the floor for the Virginia reel!” called 
Philip. Methodist Hilary looked up startled. 
“Don't worry, Hilary,” said the amused Cathalina, 
who was standing near. “It is not a real danca— 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


195 


that is, no more than the gym dances. This is a 
family custom,—once a year, and Sir Roger De 
Coverly, well, they prance around like this,” and 
Cathalina held one hand high as if reaching toward 
an imaginary partner, and minced about in a 
rhythmic walk. 

Uncle Knickerbocker was approaching Madame 
Sylvia with what Hilary called “gym steps and 
variations”. Aunt Knickerbocker with a sweeping 
courtesy was greeting Uncle Martin, who reached 
her just before Philip Senior. “Never mind, Philip; 
it’s fine to be popular,—and Martin is always such 
fun,—no offense, Philip?” 

“None whatever, Madam,” replied her host, his 
hand on his heart, “though I envy Martin!” 

“’Twas ever thus/’ sighed Martin Van Buskirk, 
“valued not so much for my handsome face as for 
my ready tongue!” 

“Your ready heels, my lad!” returned Aunt Kath¬ 
erine, as he led her out. 

“Look at ’em!” said Cathalina, poking Hilary. 
“You’d think Father was a boy tonight.” 

Hilary shook with laughter at the jokes and the 
exaggerated old-time manners assumed for the occa¬ 
sion as the elders took their places. The younger 
children preferred to play with their toys, but the 
rest lined up in the double line. Cathalina played for 


196 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


them this time,—an old-fashioned tune that set Hil¬ 
ary’s feet to tapping. Campbell, tall, handsome lad, 
came up and asked her to be his partner. Hilary 
imitated the low curtseys of the rest to match his 
bow, saying, “I wish I could, Campbell, but I’d be 
sure to get mixed up and spoil it all. Isn’t it 
pretty ?” 

Campbell drew up an easy chair by Hilary’s and 
stretched out lazily. “I’m quite contented to sit 
here by you. I guess Unde Knickerbocker couldn’t 
have eaten the turkey I did. Look at the fancy steps 
he is putting in. I bet he’ll be lame tomorrow!” 

“He’s such a fine old gentleman,” said Hilary, 
warmly, “handsome yet.” 

“O, he was some beau in his time,” replied Camp¬ 
bell, who enjoyed watching Hilary’s expressive face 
more than the maneuvers upon the floor. 

One turn of the old-fashioned dance was enough 
for the elders, who scattered, laughing and breath¬ 
less, to drop into convenient chairs and watch the 
graceful figures of John and Juliet, Louise, Ann 
Maria and the rest until they too were tired and 
gathered around the piano for more quiet enjoy¬ 
ment. The singing of fresh young voices, the gay 
or tender songs, as one or another called for some 
favorite, and last the trying of some new records, 
brought the family party to a contented and happy 
close. Nurses and maids were off duty, and when 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


197 


it was discovered that Charlotte was asleep on the 
floor with her precious doll, the last of several which 
she had received that day, it was thought high time 
for departure. Several out-of-town people remained 
over night with the Van Buskirks; others went with 
Mr. and Mrs. Van Ness, and the rest pursued their 
different ways home. 


CHAPTER XVII. 

BASKETBALL. 

To both Cathalina and Hilary the days in New 
York, with the circle of lively young friends flew 
fast. After more than a week of unadulterated good 
times, Hilary found herself homeward bound in 
charge of Mr. Martin Van Buskirk, who was off 
on another business trip for his firm. They followed 
a brief visit with the dear home people who were 
unselfishly glad for all the good times which were 
coming Hilary’s way. Little Mary sat solemnly 
listening, holding the big “New York dollie” which 
Mrs. Van Buskirk had sent her, and enjoying all 
the stories about the little Charlotte, some of whose 
escapades Hilary omitted to tell lest her small sister 
be influenced to like performances. Gordon and 
Tom were as interested in the New York boys, and 
June could not hear enough about the beautiful 



198 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


home, the Christmas tree and the places which her 
sister had seen, in and about New York. 

Cathalina and her family had the intimate little 
visit together which would carry them over the hours 
of separation ahead. Aunt Katherine was delighted 
at the result of Cathalina’s adventure into a girls* 
school and wanted to hear first hand from Cathalina 
all about Miss Randolph, the school and the girls. 

But in no time at all, it seemed, school days at 
Greycliff had begun and both Cathalina and Hilary 
were hard at work, Hilary whipping her team into 
shape for the tournaments. All the Junior girls 
were interested and loyal. The team was a strong 
one and had high hopes. 

On a frosty night in February, the big “gym”, lit 
up with brilliant electric lights and gay with banners, 
afforded to Greycliff girls and their visitors a fas¬ 
cinating scene. Girls, girls, girls, and girls again, 
came laughing, talking excitedly, each expectant of 
glory for her own class team. The older girls were 
there, too, to see which team would win the priv¬ 
ilege of playing against their winning team and to 
note how they played. 

Each class had its alotted seats, its song and 
“yell” leaders, as in the colleges, each applauding 
the others* efforts, but trying to outstrip every other 
in originality or noise. No one sat still, but all were 
bobbing up or down, this way or that. 


CATHALINA AT GKEYCLIFF 


199 


Now the Seniors led off, “Seniors 'rah, Seniors 
'rah! Greycliff!” The Sophomores broke into a 
jolly song and were followed by the Freshmen, who 
brought down the house by their shrill singing and 
desperate efforts. 

O, we’re the little Freshmen, 

So young and fresh and gay; 

And when we all 
Play basketball, 

We bear the prize away! 

We’ve never been defeated; 

We’ve brains and skill and ‘pep’; 

Just let us play 
By night or day, 

And watch us make the ‘rep’! 

Avalon, in green sweater and cap, led the sing¬ 
ing, completely transformed from the homesick girl 
Cathalina first knew. Isabel, with characteristic 
energy, led the fierce yell, “Br-rr-rr-ah-zoom! zoom! 
Freshmen!” Isabel looked funny enough, stooping 
to the ground as she had seen her brothers do, car¬ 
rying the “Br-rr” along as in her two hands and 
waving her arms wildly on “Freshmen!” 

Cathalina joined in the literally violent applause 
given the Freshmen and bid fair to become as crazy 
as the rest. She had written a song for the Juniors 
and was anxious to hear how it would sound. 


200 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


Like the rest, the Junior song leader was excited 
and marshalled her forces with much enthusiasm. 
“Now put some ‘pep’ into it, girls,” she cried, ready, 
—sing! 

Greycliff Juniors bold are we, 

Strong and hearty as you see; 

Baskets?—we can make them all, 

When our team plays basketball! 

Run and go, 

Catch each throw, 

’Rah-rah, Juniors! Greycliff Hall! 

Don’t you wish you had our team? 

Watch them when they get up steam! 

Juliet’s swift and can not fall; 

You can never budge old Paul! 

Yells and din, 

Juniors win! 

Junior ’Cademy! Greycliff Hall! 

“Imagine the elegant Cathalina making up a song 
like that when she first came to Greycliff!” Isabel 
had said, and Cathalina did not more than half like 
it, though Isabel’s intentions were entirely compli¬ 
mentary, as Cathalina knew. 

One small section of seats held the lady teachers. 
The “Gym” teacher was walking here and there, 
talking occasionally to the referee. The latter was 
a fine looking girl, lithe and tall, with blonde hair 


CATHALINA AT GEEYCLIFF 


201 


braided and wrapped tightly around her head. 
Blouse, bloomers and stockings were of black silk 
and she was the embodiment of grace and swiftness 
as she blew her whistle and ran hither and yon after 
the game commenced. 

By lot it was determined that the Juniors were to 
play the Sophomores and the Freshmen the Seniors, 
an arrangement which was hard on the Freshmen be¬ 
cause their defeat was so immediate and crushing. 
It was humiliating, also, in point of score. The con¬ 
test between the Sophomores and Juniors was more 
even, and accordingly more interesting; but the 
Juniors won, and at the last ran up quite a score. 

Then came the most exciting contest of all, be¬ 
tween the two winning teams, Junior and Senior 
Academy. Teams and classes were quivering with 
expectation. The Junior team expected victory, 
but knew that it must be hard won if won at all. 
“It helps a lot, girls/' said Hilary, “to think you 
can beat 'em if you try hard enough. I just feel 
in my bones that we can ,—now shall we do it?” 
The Seniors were alive to the disgrace of being 
beaten by a younger class, and knowing that the 
Junior team was a strong one, they prepared for a 
struggle. 

The referee blew her whistle. She tossed the 
ball and the two centers jumped eagerly. At once 
it became the property of the Senior girls, whose 


202 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


guarding was fine and determination desperate. Not 
a chance did the Juniors have until the Seniors had 
made two baskets amid shrieks of delight from 
Senior “rooters” and the encouraging yells of 
Juniors to their team. Then the tide turned for a 
time. A Senior girl fumbled and the ball was Hil¬ 
ary’s, who played left forward. A quick and ac¬ 
curate toss put it through the basket, while Juniors 
this time shrieked and applauded. In the next play 
Juliet caught the ball and tossed it over her head,— 
to come down through the basket! Four baskets the 
Juniors made in the midst of wild applause or breath¬ 
less moments of anxiety. A close struggle followed, 
each side striving to gain the advantage. 

In unwise partisanship, a Senior girl was guilty 
of a foul, and Hilary was called out to try for the 
basket. Silence reigned while Captain Hilary stood 
facing the basket with the ball between her hands. 
She measured the distance and with an easy lift 
tossed the ball straight above the basket, through 
which it dropped to the floor. Senior successes fol¬ 
lowed, and at the end of the first half the score 
was even. 

“Clean basketball, remember, girls,” said Hilary 
earnestly to her team, as they stretched flat on the 
floor to rest between halves. “Don’t lose your heads 
and we’ll beat ’em yet. Team work is the thing. 
Ethel’s lost her head already and is mad. Look out 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


203 


for some mean tricks. But they won’t do any good. 
We’ve got a keen referee, all rightee, and she sees 
everything. Did you see how she caught up Ethel 
that time? My, she was sharp! I’d hate to be 
spoken to like that!” 

The last half was close and fast. The Juniors 
took their Captain’s advice and played eagerly, but 
with judgment. Juliet and Pauline seemed inspired. 
Pauline, guarding the Senior captain, jumped up 
before her and catching the ball before the sur¬ 
prised Senior realized what had happened, sent it 
flying to Hilary, who once more tossed it in the 
Junior basket. Two or three of the Seniors lost 
their temper. Several fouls worked to the advantage 
of the Juniors again. The score rose in favor of the 
Juniors and the game ended with a score of 12 to 8 
in their favor. 

The victory was hard won but highly satisfac¬ 
tory,—to the Juniors! Hilary, flushed and tired, 
but happy, received congratulations. The Juniors 
with songs and cheers gathered around the team 
which had won them glory. Cathalina radiated joy 
as much for Hilary’s sake as for the honor of her 
class. “You certainly can play basketball, Hilary,” 
said Isabel, slapping Hilary on the shoulder as a 
boy might have done. “Now do you level best and 
maybe we can beat the Senior Collegiates!” 

Hilary shook her head doubtfully, but answered 


204 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


with a bright smile, “We’ll play so the Prep classes 
won’t be ashamed of us anyway!” 

But alas for the hopes of prepdom! No team had 
ever beaten this Senior Collegiate team on its way 
through Greycliff, and history was repeated when 
the last games took place a week later. To the joy 
of the Academy classes, however, the games be¬ 
tween “Junior A” and “Senior C” was a close one. 
Both teams were in fine training and exhibited a 
spirit of fair play; but the upper class bore off the 
honors. 

“I surely would have been mortified if those 
Preps had beaten us, and, honestly, once I was 
almost afraid of it!” Thus spoke the exhausted but 
victorous captain, who lay stretched on the floor 
to recover after the game. One girl was being 
rubbed with camphor, another was applying arnica 
to a big bump and a third was having a sprain investi¬ 
gated, while Miss Randolph, with contracted brow, 
came over to join the gymnasium teacher and see 
what were the injuries of her athletes. 

To a few of her teachers Miss Randolph relieved 
her feelings as they all walked back to Greycliff Hall, 
picking their way carefully over the ice and snow 
that had formed or fallen too rapidly for removal 
from the walks. 

“I do not and never shall approve of these com¬ 
petitive games before the whole school! Practice 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


205 


games are well enough, but the girls get so excited 
that they will ‘do or die’, as one of their ridiculous 
songs says!” Miss Randolph’s laugh almost belied 
the severity of her remarks. 

“ ‘Vitamque volunt pro laude pacisci’,” quoted 
the classic Dr. Carver, whose blood seldom warmed 
over athletics of any sort. 

“That is their spirit,” assented Miss Randolph. 
“I’m always afraid of some calamity, but so far 
we have escaped. I feel responsible for the girls. 
However, none of them are allowed to go into any¬ 
thing without the consent of their parents.” 

“Not much can happen in basketball, can there?” 

“No, but I am always afraid of the bruises and 
strains and sometimes they fall so hard and strike 
their heads. Perhaps the athletic craze is more 
wholesome than some others, but we endure and are 
thankful when every tournament is past. And, in¬ 
deed it seems to me, if school or college life is to 
foster any refinement of speech or manner in our 
girls, something will have to be done about these 
performances.” 

As it happened, fate was kind to Miss Randolph 
and her old-school ideas. To the great disappoint¬ 
ment of both schools, the Highlanders had an epi¬ 
demic of measles, “measly things”, as Isabel said, 
and arrangements for the competitive games were 
completely broken off. But to relieve the general 


206 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


feeling of disappointment they were promised some 
kind of an affair together, when all danger of infec¬ 
tion was past. It might be a picnic, a masquerade, 
nobody knew just what. “And next year, girls,” 
said Eloise, impressively, “we can go with the Col- 
legiates over to see the athletic carnival at the mili¬ 
tary school?” 

“How do you know, Elo’ ?” asked Cathalina. 

“The Academy Seniors are supposed to have 
enough sense to accompany the distinguished Col- 
legiates! They have a wonderful time, they say,— 
met by the boys in their uniforms, of course, es¬ 
corted around to all the doings and if you know any¬ 
body there you can even see him! There are plenty 
of teachers along, of course.” 

“My, I wish Phil were that near!” exclaimed 
Cathalina, with a homesick pang. “It it a real 
grown-up school ? He isn’t going back to the same 
school, perhaps, next year, is just trying a new 
school this year, but he will be in college work, I 
guess.” 

“Don’t you know?” asked Hilary is some sur¬ 
prise. 

“Poor Hilary. Haven’t you learned yet, Hilary, 
that I’m just beginning to pay attention to school 
things?” 

“Sure enough. But they’re interesting, aren’t 
they?” 

“Fairly so,” replied Cathalina with a twinkle. 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


207 


CHAPTER XVIII. 


BIRD CLUBS AND A PRINCESS. 

“When may I see you alone, Miss Randolph ?” 
Cathalina had slipped through the front ranks of 
the girls in the hall after dinner, and leaning close 
spoke in low tones. 

“Right now, Cathalina/’ Miss Randolph drew 
Cathalina’s hand within her arm and completed the 
short distance to her door. “Anything serious?” 

“No, Miss Randolph, but I have a puzzle and I 
thought you might help me.” 

Miss Randolph closed her door and went straight 
to a low couch where she lay down and motioned 
Cathalina to a chair near. “Excuse me, but my 
head troubles me a little today and I want to rest.” 

Cathalina pushed the chair aside and drew up a 
small stool on which she dropped, taking the hand 
that Miss Randolph stretched out. 

“Let me rub your forehead as I do Mamma’s 
sometimes.” 

Miss Randolph closed her eyes a few minutes 
as she was soothed by Cathalina’s ministrations. 
Then she caught Cathalina’s hand and put it with 
the other in her own firm, white hand “Now tell 
me,” she said. 

Cathalina very sincerely loved and admired Miss 


208 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


Randolph and to be here so intimately talking with 
the lady of whom some of the girls were in such ter¬ 
ror was rather embarrassing when her first feeling 
of “poor lady with a headache” had gone. “It is a 
rest to have you here, Cathalina,” Miss Randolph 
continued, looking so sweet and womanly and kind, 
as she waited for Cathalina’s confidences that the 

4 

young girl felt an affection even warmer than she 
had felt before. 

“It is not anything, then, that will add to my gray 
hairs?” Miss Randolph gave Cathalina a comical 
look as if to indicate that she was accustomed to 
such things. 

“No, indeed, Miss Randolph, and perhaps you will 
think I am silly. It’s only this. I heard Betty and 
Isabel and Diane talking about joining the bird clubs, 
and Diane and Isabel both said that they’d love to, 
only it would be all their people could do this year 
to meet the regular expenses, and they did not dare 
ask for field glasses or even opera glasses or any 
more books. Now I’m going to join, and I thought 
maybe I could get the textbooks and some others 
and make a little library for the East Corridor girls. 
But I’m afraid to buy glasses for the girls,—they’re 
so proud and independent. Why I had a time to get 
Hilary to accept a few little presents.” 

“Independence of a certain kind is a fine virtue, 
Cathalina. Has Hilary glasses?” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


209 


“Yes, her aunt sent her some fine ones.’’ 

“Let me think a little. I suppose you would like 
to buy each of the other girls a forty or fifty dollar 
pair?” 

Cathalina laughed at Miss Randolph’s tone. “Yes, 
of course I would, but I see that I can’t unless I 
do it ‘unbeknownst’, as our Katy says, and any¬ 
way they would suspect.” 

“How would this plan do? For some time I 
have thought that we ought to have a supply of 
glasses to rent; but some of the girls are so careless 
that that fact, together with our lack of funds, has 
prevented our getting them. Now how would you 
like to present the school with a number of field 
glasses of moderate price, and perhaps two or three 
more expensive ones to be given out at my discre¬ 
tion or given by the science teachers for special inter¬ 
est or ability? Possibly one or two could be 
awarded at the close of the year as prizes.” 

“That is the very thing! I’ll write Papa today! 
Thank you, Miss Randolph, I might have known 
that you would take the worry away. And you can 
manage it, can’t you, so that Diane and Isabel get 
some good ones ?” 

“I surely will if the little princess gives us so 
much. She ought to have some reward!” 

“‘Princess!’” thought Cathalina, as she went 
away. “That’s what I’m going to be, forever and 


210 


CATHALINA AT GKEYCLIFF 


ever!—a fairy princess who will make all sorts of 
lovely dreams come true for people!” 

“Hilary was taken into the secret, and such fun 
as the girls had for several weeks, looking at Cata¬ 
logues and ordering, with the help of the teacher who 
had charge of the bird classes, books, glasses and 
magazines. For the idea of an East Corridor bird 
library had expanded into an extensive addition to 
the general library of the school and promised to 
interest not only Mr. Van Buskirk, but his friends, 
and outside of the scientific line in which Cathaline 
had begun. Mr. Van Buskirk had sent a check for 
a thousand dollars, five hundred of which could be 
spent by Cathalina, under some direction or over¬ 
sight. “Let her do it,” he wrote, “if you think she 
can, even if she makes some mistakes. She will have 
to learn, and I like to see her take the initiative ini 
some plan for others.” To Cathalina he wrote: 
“Keep your eyes open. I am prepared to make quite 
a contribution to the Greycliff library when we un¬ 
derstand its needs.” 

If Greycliff had been beautiful in autumn, it was 
doubly so now, as the leaves came out and blossoms 
decked the outlying meadows. In the wood, the 
girls found blue, white and yellow violets. From 
her window Cathalina could see the birds flitting 
about the branches near by and hear the new and 
lovely spring songs that came from their happy 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


211 


r 

throats. “Why,” she exclaimed to Hilary one day 
after a long tramp when they had dropped on the 
beach to rest with a group of girls. “I always loved 
to look at the trees and sky and water, but it does 
make it so much more fascinating if you go after 
something.” 

“Yes,” assented Hilary. “Now, when I see a bird 
on the shore I wonder if it is a duck or a coot or a 
gull,”—“Or a chicken!” finished Isabel, who con¬ 
tinued with a tale of her own. “The other day I 
identified the janitor’s old hen as a grouse! O, yes, 
I can identify any old thing! I put down every line 
and mark I could see,—in my note book, and never 
knew any better till it came beating it toward me 
and clucking! And I watched ten minutes for one 
of his old barnyard ducks to come around the corner 
of a rock. What business it had down on the shore 
posing as a gull or something I could not see.” 

“I did worse than that,” said Hilary. “Honestly, 
girls, I hardly knew a bluejay from a wren until 
this spring. So the first week of class I was trying 
to get as big a list as possible,”—here several girls 
looked interested and nodded their heads as if to say 
in girls’ parlance, “me, too!” 

“And I saw a bird that seemed to be building a 
nest around by the engine house somewhere. He 
was an awfully pretty looking little chap, all brown 
and stripey like the sparrow, and his feathers were 


212 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


so new and bright that I just knew he must be a 
new arrival, some kind of a finch, by his thick bill. I 
noted down very carefully all his streaks and bars, 
just as Isabel did. The only very striking thing 
about him was a dark patch on his throat, and I 
found in my book the description of a ‘black-throated 
bunting’. That was it, of course,” and Hilary 
brought her fist down on the heap of sand which 
she had been scraping up as she talked. “For at 
least half an hour I was watching, and the longer I 
looked the less the black-throated bunting idea would 
do! And what do you suppose he was?” 

“An English sparrow,” cried Diane, who had been 
grinning all through the description. “I did almost 
the same thing,—the beasts!” 

“Yes, I was so mad,” smiled Hilary, “and morti¬ 
fied! But that lively little fellow was so cute and 
handsome that I’ve had more patience with English 
sparrows since, for all my disgust that time. I was 
only too thankful that I had not handed in my re¬ 
port before I found out what he was!” 

As the days went by, the blossoms fell from the 
pink and white dreams that went by the names of 
plum, peach, apple or pear trees. The leaves changed 
from the green mists that shrouded the trees in early 
May to the waving foliage which hid the nest-build¬ 
ing birds. The boat-house was opened, the life¬ 
saving watchmen out for the season. 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


213 


Canoeing and rowing began on river and lake, 
and picnics or beach parties were common. As 
Cathalina and Hilary had learned to row the sum¬ 
mer before, many a jolly pull they had, together or 
with other girls, particularly Betty Barnes and Lilian 
North. Lilian had come to be as “chummy” with 
Hilary as Betty was with Cathalina, though neither 
friendship interfered in the least with the strong 
affection between Cathalina and Hilary. 

“Hil and Lil,” chanted Cathalina one afternoon 
when the four were bobbing on the gentle waves. 

“That rhyme may come in handy for your next 
class song,” suggested Betty. 

“I write no more by sea or shore,” sang Catha¬ 
lina, losing her stroke and dashing them all with 
spray. 

“Say it not,” protested Lilian. “How about 
themes?” 

“What is the use of being so practical, Lil ?” re¬ 
joined Cathalina. “Father says that poets don’t have 
to be consistent!” 

Betty was leaning over, trailing her hand in the 
water. “I think I saw a shark then, or maybe a 
whale,” she said dreamily. 

“Goosey, they don’t have ’em here,” chided 
Lilian. 

Betty looked at her solemnly. “Don’t they ? 
Thank you. Anyway I heard Mickey—Boathouse, 


I 


214 CATHALINA AT GKEYCLIFF 

—whatever his name is over there—say that there 
is an awful monster in this lake sometimes. It has 
a long neck, and head like a snake, and breathes 
fire, I guess, and,—” 

“Don’t Betty!” cried Cathalina, “you give me the 
shivers and it’s too glorious this afternoon. Did 
Mickey say we couldn’t go out beyond the break¬ 
water ?” 

“Yes; and it’s on the printed rules, too.” 

“All right. Back we go, then.” Cathalina care¬ 
fully turned the boat and started shoreward. “Strike 
up, Lil, do!” 

Lilian, who had her guitar, strummed a few 
chords, feeling for an easy key, then led off in 
pathetic tones:— 

O, I wish I were a mermaid, 

With scales instead of clo’es, 

I’d float upon the billows, 

Where no one ever goes! 

I’d comb my hair and sing of love, 

And bat my sea-green eyes,— 

O,—I wish I were a mermaid 
Beneath the blue lake skies! 

Mermaid! 

Mermaid! 

Slipp’ry, fishy mermaid! 

O,— 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


215 


I wish I were a mermaid. 

Beneath the blue lake skies! 

O, I wish I were a mermaid, 

I’d never read a book. 

But hold a pretty mirror 
And at my beauty look! 

I’d rest me in a coral cave. 

Or swim where Neptune rides,— 

O — 

I wish I were a mermaid 
To cleave the foaming tides! 

Mermaid! 

Mermaid! 

Slipp’ry, fishy mermaid!— 

O,— 

I wish I were a mermaid, 

Beneath the blue lake skies.” 

“That awful minor tune, Lil,” laughed Betty. 
“Did you make up the words, too?” 

Lilian only nodded assent, having no other means 
of reply with fingers and voice both engaged. Betty 
joined with the rest, earnestly wishing to be mer¬ 
maids, and in fine style they glided up to the little 
dock where watchful Mickey helped them out and 
tied up the boat. 


216 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER XIX. 

THE GHOST PARTY. 

Greycliffe “mysteries” had long since ceased to 
interest our girls. Isabel had lost her concern about 
the “Woman in Black” and the “mysterious’* girl had 
been swallowed up with the rest into the busy life 
of the school. Her name had proved simple enough. 
“Miss Louise Holley, O, isn’t she jolly?” rhymed 
Betty, rather satirically; but the new girl had laid 
aside her attitude of distance and tried to make her¬ 
self agreeable to the other girls. Like Cathalina, she 
recited irregularly with the Academy and Collegiate 
girls, was in Cathalina’s class in literature, recited 
in Senior Academy Latin with Lilian and belonged to 
the bird club which included both Hilary and Cath¬ 
alina. The girls wondered about her age, as girls 
do, and Cathalina occasionally caught the resem¬ 
blance to “somebody” which had puzzled her from 
the first. “It isn’t connected with a pleasant feel¬ 
ing, girls, but I can’t tell why and I’m sure it isn’t 
fair to this nice girl to think of it.” 

“She was probably sore over things at first,” said 
Isabel. 

The conclusion was that Miss Holley was about 
eighteen or nineteen years old and was “back” in 
some of her studies. She kept to herself quite a 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


217 


little, but was often found in the groups of Collegi¬ 
ate girls. From the single room on the first floor she 
had been moved to one not far from the little suite oc¬ 
cupied by Isabel and Avalon, though her room was 
on a different hall. Occasionally she would call in one 
or the other of these girls to hook up a dress or do 
some little thing for her and reward them liberally 
with candy, fruit or nuts. Isabel was an independ¬ 
ent little thing and did not like it much. “Let her 
get some of the real little girls to do things !” she 
growled. 

“Why, Isabel, I don’t think that’s kind!” 

“Well, Avalon, you don’t notice my not wanting 
to do things for other people, do you? But she’s 
so overbearing. I hate to be bossed, but I s’pose 
it is wicked.” 

“I don’t mind; and she’s always been so pleasant 
to me. I feel so sorry about her father. Isn’t it 
funny she hasn’t any picture of him in her room?” 

“That’s so. I never thought of it before,—but 
she hasn’t a sign of a photograph around.” 

“I suppose it makes her feel too bad. I’ve found 
out by this time that all girls aren’t alike.” 

“You don’t mean it! What a philosopher!” 
Cathalina, overhearing the last remark, joined the 
two younger girls. 

“Don’t you make fun of me, Cathalina V. B. I 
heard you say almost the same thing the other day. 
Besides, anybody might have noticed it.” 


218 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


There was a rustic seat near the corner of Grey- 
cliff Hall on the side of the grove, and there Ava¬ 
lon, Isabel and Cathalina waited the approach of 
Hilary and Lilian, who came swinging tennis 
racquets. It was so lovely out of doors on these 
evenings after dinner that campus, beach and woods 
were always sprinkled with these living flowers of 
spring till the study bell rang. Hammocks were 
up, and freshly painted swings had come out of 
winter quarters. 

Hilary dropped upon a grassy seat and waved an 
answer to Eloise who now called and came running 
over the campus, her hands full of the violets which 
she had been gathering. "O, girls, you’re all in¬ 
vited to a Ghost Party tonight. 

“A 'Ghost Party’! repeated Hilary. "That sounds 
interesting,—and what may a ghost party be ?” 

Isabel sprang to her feet and began an exagger¬ 
ated display of shivering, her teeth chattering, chin 
wobbling and eyes as big as saucers. "Who’s got 
my golden ar-rr-rrm?” she wailed. 

"Ha! The Woman in Black!” added Hilary. 
"That’s about the way you looked, Isabel, when you 
thought you saw her.” 

"When I did see her, you mean. Who’s giving 
the party?” Isabel asked of Eloise, and turning to 
Hilary, again continued, "Say no more, fair maid! 
I’m awfully ashamed of being afraid that time. I 
hope my brothers never hear of it.” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


219 


“Grace and I are giving the party. We just 
thought it up.” 

“Where’ll it be?” 

“In our rooms,—well, different places. It’s very 
mysterious.” 

“How can we?” asked Cathalina. “It’s almost 
time for the bell now, and I’ve got ooodles of work 
to do tonight.” 

“After study hours. If I can I’ll get permission 
for a midnight feast. If I can’t, come around for 
a little while between study hours and lights out 
anyhow. Grace has a lovely cake from home and 
she is over at the janitor’s now, engaging his wife 
to make sandwiches and lemonade for us. I’m going 
to see if we can’t sit up to have it. It’s Friday night 
—the fatal thirteenth of the month, too—and no 
school tomorrow, of course, and I haven’t asked for 
a special thing this year. It’ll be a pity if I can’t 
have a single party! O, yes, wear a sheet and some 
sort of a white muslin mask,—just holes to breathe, 
talk and see through, and better wear white gloves 
or cover up your hands some way, ’cause we’d recog¬ 
nize your hands, you know. And think up the most 
scary ghost story you know to tell when you join 
the magic circle by moonlight! Isabel, you’ll have 
to think up something besides the woman in black. 
I’ll send you all word if we can have it. If we can, 
come in your ghostly garb at ten bells!” 


220 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


“Won’t it be fun!” 

“Elo’ ought to ask the 'mysterious’ girl to & 
ghost party.” 

“O, it’ll just be our bunch, I think,” said Isabel, 

i 

with much pride in belonging to it! “Why should 
she ask Louise Holley? She’s older, and then we 
just called her ‘mysterious’ at first.” 

“I’m not so sure that there isn’t something queer 
about her,” said Hilary, creating quite an impres¬ 
sion; for Hilary was regarded as very “level¬ 
headed.” “After being so snippy to Cathalina at 
first, she has been in to see her a number of times 
lately, and hinted very broadly after hearing about 
my visit that she would ‘so enjoy New York’. She 
asks such funny questions, and shuts up like a clam 
about herself,—of course we haven’t asked anything 
after the first things one would naturally ask at 
school, and got snubbed for them!” 

A smothered sneeze from around the corner made 
the girls stop talking and look at each other. 

“Somebody’s been listening,” whispered Cath¬ 
alina. 

“Trying to find out about our party! I hope she 
hears a lot of good about herself,” promptly and 
pertly spoke Isabel, the last quite loudly. Hilary 
sprang up from the ground and hurried around the 
corner. But she was too late. 

“Whoever it was either skipped out into the grove 
or whisked into the side door. It’s of no use to fol- 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


221 


low, too many girls everywhere. She’d be strolling 
along like one of them.” 

Friday was the accustomed night for the occa¬ 
sional “midnight feast”, official name for any sort 
of affairs after hours. Privileges of this kind were 
granted only to girls of good standing in both char¬ 
acter and lessons at Greycliff. As Eloise qualified 
in both lines she had no difficulty in securing the 
desired permission. “Be quiet, though,” she was 
admonished. “O, it’s an especially quiet party,” 
and Eloise laughed to think of the ghostly plans. 
With such assurance, Miss Randolph dismissed 
Eloise with a smile. 

Cathalina and Hilary, on reaching their suite after 
the study bell rang, plunged into lessons with deter¬ 
mination. 

“I feel like letting down on Friday, said Hilary, 
“but if I do, I don’t get through. (Fm a natural 
poet, Cathalina.) Saturday always has so many 
things and Saturday night I can hardly ever study.” 

“Yes; Fve noticed that, too,” returned Cathalina 

Time flew and the work was scarcely done when 
the gong released Greycliff girls from study for a 
half hour before the lights must be out. 

“We aren’t to go till ‘ten bells’, Grace said, so 
why not keep on working until we’re through?” 

“We’d have to explain to Miss Matthews when 
she looks in to see if we’re here.” 

“I’ll do that if you hate to,” said Hilary, who 


222 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


had taken all sorts of disagreeable responsibilities 
all her life,—for other people. 

“We’ll lay out the sheets and things, then, and 
she’ll see.” 

From the halls came the noise of girls running 
past, getting fresh water, visiting, laughing and 
talking till once again the gong rang. Miss Matthews 
did not come. Hilary and Cathalina donned their 
sheets and made their masks without having to ex¬ 
plain why their lights were not out, and by the time 
they were ready it was nearly “ten bells”. “O, 
isn't this fun!” exclaimed Cathalina. “I wonder 
just what we shall do!” 

Ghostly figures glided down the halls to be silently 
admitted by a sheeted doorkeeper, on presenting the 
required pass, a slip of paper on which a skull and 
crossbones were drawn. “O, forgot,” whispered 
one. “I’ll run and get it.” “O, no you needn’t,” 
replied the kind ghost at the door. “It was just for 
fun.” 

Eloise and Grace with Juliet and Pauline now oc¬ 
cupied one of the larger suites, and a jolly time they 
had of it. Tonight the central study room was 
cleared from obstruction and a circle of cushions 
made, to which the ghosts were pointed as they 
entered. Only the moonlight streaming in through 
the big windows furnished guidance, though occa¬ 
sional flashes of electricity from the hands of some 
hostess ghost showed the preparation for more light 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


223 


if necessary. “Do ghosts use flashlights ?” queried 
Avalon. “Remember the will-o’-the-wisps,” replied 
Cathalina. 

The circle complete, slips of paper were passed 
around and a slim white figure took her place in the 
center of the circle. Reaching to the electric fixture 
above her, she turned on the light and in the hollow 
whisper directed the ghosts to print in large letters 
their names “in life” and pin them on “with a thorn 
from the Witches* Glen!” Real thorns were offered 
in a large pin try. 

“Within the circle you will find 

Other papers to your mind; 

Write a good and ghostly verse; 

’Spress yourself in language terse.” 

“That must be Elizabeth Barrett Browning at 
least!” quoth one ghost. 

“Too much like work!” complained another, in 
a ghostly whisper. 

“It doesn’t have to rhyme. Write anything you 
choose. It is supposed to be your message from 
the Land of Ghosts.” 

“Do we have to be women ?” 

“No.” 

“The names pinned on represented many centuries 
and countries. Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, Queen 
Victoria, Mary Queen of Scots, Mrs. Browning, 
Florence Nightingale, Louise of Prussia, Marie An- 


224 CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF ^ 

toinette and Xantippe mingled with George Wash¬ 
ington, Julius Caesar, Ulysses and other gentlemen 
of like fame. Five minutes were allowed for the mes¬ 
sages, after which cups of “ambrosia” were to be 
passed for refreshment. The ghost who made the 
announcements suffered much difficulty in not laps¬ 
ing into their natural tones. Cathalina was sure 
that she recognized both Eloise and Juliet. Catha¬ 
lina had decided to be Xantippe, for she thought the 
girls would not suspect her choosing that character. 
With great enjoyment she wrote: 

“When on earth, Xantippe, I! 

Couldn’t bake the worst of pie; 

Scolded Socrates,—O my!— 

Till he filled the cup,—to die!” 

“Each ghost will read her own verse, standing, 
and may be asked any questions by other ghosts. 
Remember that your laugh or some motion may be¬ 
tray you! If you are a sad spirit, give a groan as 
you complete the verse; if a happy spirit, a laugh.” 

“Suppose you don’t know where these ghosts 
have gone to—what then?” 

“Guess at it! If your identity is not guessed be¬ 
fore the verses are finished, there will be other 
tests. The final unmasking,—or unveiling will come 
just before the feast. Next come the ghost stories 
in the moonlight.” 

Several of the girls were discovered in the merri- 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


225 


ment over the verse and had to write their names 
under the assumed one on the tag. Then the light 
was turned off again and ghost stories began. Eloise 
was in the midst of a thrilling one, “And as she lay 
there in the moonlight, the French window swung 
softly open, an icy breeze seemed to enter and a 
cold hand was placed on her forehead,”—when one 
of the ghosts gave a little jump, said in a whisper, 
“Please excuse me a minute,” and slipped out of 
the door. 

“Was she scared, do you suppose?” asked Eloise,, 
pausing in her account. 

“No; go on,—if she does not come back we’ll hunt 
her up pretty soon.” 

The stories went on, the girls drawing closer to¬ 
gether, but in a few minutes a gentle knock sounded 
at the door. The ghost nearest reached up and 
opened it, while Eloise said, “O, you’re back all 
right. I was afraid I had scared you.” 

“ ‘Back?’ —no,” replied the amazed ghost. “I’m 
Betty and just came. I s’pose I’ve just about missed 
it all!” 

“No, but I’m so sorry you’ve not been here! How 
funny! Who could it have been? Well, come join 
the magic circle anyway and tell a ghost story.” 

“I—can’t. I’m all out of breath and—” “All 
right; you next, Di.” 

“Girls, do you hear it striking twelve?” said 
Hilary, after some time. 


226 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


Eloise rose and turned on the light. ‘'All respect¬ 
able ghosts disappear at the stroke of twelve! Masks 
off! We’re going to put on the sheets again after 
the eats and have a procession through the halls.” 

“Better not,” said Betty, meaningly. It was done, 
however, though the shadows did not look particu¬ 
larly inviting after those ghost stories! Even Catha- 
lina and Hilary joined in the ridiculous procession 
that filed up to the third floor, down the back stairs, 
out to the porch through a parlor window, down the 
front steps, out upon the campus and circling the 
fountain, and then as the voice of the night watch¬ 
man was heard, scampering into the Hall with tightly 
gathered robes, back to safety! 

“I wish I didn’t have such an awful conscience!” 
said Cathalina. “It spoils half the fun to be perfect¬ 
ly sure that Miss Randolph wouldn’t want us to go 
outdoors!” 

“My little conscience troubles me too,” admitted 
Hilary. 

Jk * * * * 

At the first opportunity the following day, Betty 
and Eloise came in with sober faces to see Catha¬ 
lina and Hilary. 

“Listen!” said Eloise, mysteriously. “Betty has 
something to tell you. She had an adventure last 
night.” 

“Girls,” said Betty impressively, “never, never 
go out alone after night.” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 227 

“That advice would certainly; suit Miss Ran¬ 
dolph” 

Well, Miss Randolph is right! Honestly I never 
realized till this morning what might have happened. 
Why, I might have been kidnapped!” 

“And please let's keep this to ourselves,” contin¬ 
ued Betty. “Only Lilian knows it in our suite, and 
Eloise, and we want to know what you girls think of 
it all. 

“I wanted to finish a problem last night; so I 
told the girls to go and I would come in a few min¬ 
utes. I had on the sheet and everything. Pretty 
soon the door opened a little farther,—the girls had 
left it ajar—and in flew a big envelope. I had my 
mind on the problem and didn’t ‘come to’ for a 
minute, then went over and picked up the envelope. 
It was addressed to me with a note in it, everything 
printed in crazy letters. ‘Very important. Meet me 
outside. Back door unlocked. Big oak near the 
janitor’s—have to bring up eats—hurry—don’t let 
the night watchman see you—Ghost Eloise.’ I 
thought Elo’ was in a hurry and in a ‘funny’ 
humor, ghosts and so forth, and never suspected a 
thing. I looked out in the hall and saw several girls 
in sheets going the right way for the party, so I hur¬ 
ried down the back way, wondering where Eloise 
had gotten a key and why she should mention the 
night watchman if she had permission to get the 
eats, as I supposed she had. I was such a dummy! 


228 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


There was a light at the janitor’s house, so I wasn’t 
scared a bit. 

“Well, I waited and waited and waited! No 
Eloise, of course. And I was just going to start 
over to the janitor’s when lo and behold the light 
there went out! I whirled on my heel to go back to 
the Hall,—and there was a young man walking 
rapidly toward me out of the grove! 

“My sakes, Betty, you take my breath,” said 
Hilary. “Is this a movie?” 

“ ‘Truth is stranger than fiction’, Hilary,” 
reminded the absorbed Cathalina. 

“Honestly, girls, I was so frightened for a minute 
that I was weak, and couldn’t take to my heels as 
I wanted to! But I saw that he was young and 
nice looking and well dressed,—and he called, not 
very loud, Ts that you, Louise?’ 

“ ‘No,’ I said, ‘it is not’.” 

“ ‘O’, he said and seemed to be disappointed, so 
I knew he didn’t have any designs on me. Then 
he told me that he had expected to meet his sister 
down on the beach, that he came in a motor boat and 
had something important for her, but came earlier 
than he had planned and so walked up hoping to 
meet her. He looked around sort of uncomfortably 
and said he didn’t see how he could wait and some¬ 
thing about how silly they were here about hours and 
rules. I suppose he thought I was a rule-breaker 
too, and would sympathize. 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


229 


“Then he asked if I would do him a favor. “If 
I run down to the boat and get the package—it isn’t 
a large one—would you give it to my sister?’ 

“ T don't know who your sister is/ ” I said. 

“ ‘It’s addressed/ he said and hurried off without 
waiting for me to say I would or wouldn’t, just 
took it for granted that I would! 

“So I waited again— hours —and thought I never 
would get to the party. Finally he came back and 
apologized for keeping me waiting, said he’d mis¬ 
laid a letter and gave me a big packet,—looked like 
letters and papers all tied up. ‘Of course you’ll not 
mention this/ he said, and gave me such a look! 
He ‘had me in his power’, as the stories say, so I 
said ‘naturally not’ in a high and mighty way and 
walked off. By this time I knew that somebody 
had played a joke on me and Eloise had never been 
at the janitor’s at all!” 

“Did you deliver the packet?’’ 

“Yes; I wish I had waited and given it to Miss 
Randolph first, but my smart thoughts always come 
a week or so too late! The package was addressed 
to Miss Louise Holle, spelled ‘le’ instead of ‘ley’ as 
I had supposed. When I rapped on her door there 
was no answer, so I tried it, found it unlocked and 
decided to open it and leave the packet there. I 
just put it on a chair that I saw near the door. The 
moonlight shone in on her bed and it was empty. I 
suppose she had gone out to meet him, maybe to 


230 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


the beach. I heard a motor boat chugging away 
as I came through the halls.” 

“She must have had a nice wait if she missed 
him,” said Hilary. 

“Mercy, Betty,” exclaimed Cathalina, “it might 
have been somebody to kidnap you, as you say. 
Where in the world was the night watchman?” 

“O, smoking behind some tree, or asleep on the 
porch, I suppose,” replied Betty, forgetting that she 
had done her best to keep out of sight, while the 
prowling visitor had doubtless done the same. 

Eloise then told of the ghost who had come with¬ 
out the “skull and crossbones pass”, and of the one 
that left shortly before Betty arrived. “I thought it 
was the same one coming back, you know. And 
when we all unmasked, everybody I had invited was 
there. So somebody planned to get Betty out of the 
way and come herself. Now do you suppose it was 
Louise?” 

“Somebody else may have done it for a joke on 
Betty or all of us, you remember that sneeze around 
the corner!” 

“The plot thickens,” laughed Cathalina. “Did the 
young man look like Louise?” 

“Yes, very much. I think he really is her brother, 
or some near relative, but why couldn’t he come to 
see her at some decent hour, and inside of Grey- 
cliff?” 

Nobody could answer that question. 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 231 
CHAPTER XX. 

THE JUNIOR PICNIC. 

Sometimes a mystery remains one for weeks and 
months or is never solved, and many a girl at school 
has had to endure an unjust suspicion; but it was 
odd how bits of information came to the girls in the 
next few days, “links in the chain of evidence”, as 
Betty said. “I shall not say one word to Louise 
about the packet, or ask if she got it! If it was Louise, 
‘Louise of Prussia’ and she was at the party, she’ll 
know it was I who brought it. If somebody else 
played the trick on me, she’ll have no means of 
knowing who it was, for her brother could only 
tell that it was a girl dressed up as a ghost, and there 
were about twenty of us. So let her betray her¬ 
self!” and Betty struck an attitude, one hand waving 
to high heaven, the other upon her heart. 

This was the morning after the ghost party, and 
while Betty was thus delivering herself to Catha- 
lina, the other girls having scattered, Molly, the 
colored maid, came in to clean the room. “Does 
you-all care foh these masks?” she asked, as she held 
up one from the waste basket which she was about to 
empty. “Ef yo’ doesn’t, I’ll tek it along to Snowla; 
she’ll like to play with it.” 

“Why, certainly, Molly,” returned Cathalina, “I 
threw it there.” 

“Well, ah didn’t know. Ah picked one up off’n 


232 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


the flo’ in Miss Holley's room this mawnin’ an' she 
jus’ nachelly snatched it out’n ma han’, an' tol' me 
nevah to put anything in the waste basket without 
askin'. ” 

Betty and Cathalina exchanged glances as they left 
the room to Molly's care. And as they went down 
stairs they fell in with Victoria, who asked, “What 
were you girls saying last night to make Louise 
Holley so mad at you? I met her coming in the side 
door with a red face and saying, ‘Smarties! I’ll get 
even with them!’ I said, Svhat's the matter, 
Louise?’ and she said, ‘O, nothing,—that Betty!’ ” 

“She had not been with us, and Betty did not say 
anything that I know of.” 

“I saw you all together afterwards and I thought 
maybe she had been with you.” Victoria went off 
in another direction as they all reached the foot of 
the steps outside. 

“There! She was listening and thought you said 
that about her instead of Hilary.” 

“Seems to me Isabel said something, too. Why 
I wasn't even there till afterwards! But the girls 
told me what had been said and about the sneeze they 
heard.” 

“Probably she made up her mind to get into the 
party someway, and when she saw you there after 
the girls had gone took that chance to fool you.” 

“O, there is Miss West!” interrupted Betty. Let’s 
ask her to take a row with us.” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


233 


In a few minutes the three were on the river to¬ 
gether, Patricia West glad of the recreation with two 
such exceptionally nice girls. Moved by some im¬ 
pulse, Betty started in to recount her experience, 
with all the attendant circumstances. “Of course 
Patty wouldn’t tell,” the girls always thought, and 
in receiving their confidences Miss West often had 
some difficult questions of ethics and loyalty to de¬ 
cide. “O, Betty!” she exclaimed when Betty came 
to the scene under the oak tree. 

“Don’t worry, Miss West,—never again!” 

“For any of us,” added Cathalina. “What do you 
think, Miss West?” 

After a few questions, Miss West considered a 
moment, then said 

“It was her brother, without doubt, for he has 
been at the Hall. I can see no reason except his 
own convenience for the late meeting. However, 
some people just love to be mysterious and do things 
in an underhand way. It showed a lack of consider¬ 
ation for his sister. I think what he brought her 
was a package of mail and papers that probably just 
got through from Germany. He is at the military 
school. Louise brought in some German papers 
to Miss Randolph this morning while I happened to 
be with her, and wanted us to sympathize with their 
standpoint about the war. Their real name is Von 
Holle, though in this country they have usually gone 
by the name of Holle. I know I can trust you girls 


234 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


not to talk about it,—but Miss Randolph has been 
quite puzzled, wondering what she ought to do. We 
are supposed to be neutral, of course, but every hu¬ 
man being has passed judgment on the recent deeds 
of Germany, and with all the talk among 
the girls Miss Randolph feared that for one 
thing Louise would be very unhappy here. 
And she was in quite a state at first. Her father 
was a Prussian officer and was killed in the first ad¬ 
vance through Belgium. He had sent his family to 
America early in the summer. They used to live 
here and the children were born here. Their English 
is perfect, but the mother says ‘ve’ for ‘we’, and has 
a decidedly foreign accent. She is a public singer, 
not especially noted. Miss Randolph had to decide 
so suddenly and they were so insistent, wanting a 
safe place for Louise while the family was so unset¬ 
tled that it was finally arranged. I believe if I 
were you that I would just pass it over and not 
think about it. But do not follow any crazy plans 
for breaking rules again. The rules are not made 
for fun, you know, only to protect you girls.” 

“I know now,” said Cathalina, suddently, “what 
that resemblance is. Three years ago when we were 
in Berlin, there was quite a scene one day,—an officer 
and some men. Father hurried us away, but I can 
see yet the officer’s angry face as he lifted his sword 
and struck one of the men. Do you suppose it 
could have been her father?” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


235 


“O, you couldn’t assume that, Cathalina. There 
are many chance resemblances.” 

Several days afterward, Hilary was kneeling on 
the floor in her sanctum sanctorum. With her arms 
on the windowsill, she was looking absently toward 
the lake and the fleecy white clouds above it, when 
Cathalina, Betty, Diane, Eloise and Pauline came 
noisily in. 

“Back view of one of Raphael’s cherubs!” said 
Diane in her cheerful voice. “What’s the matter, 
Hilary? Can this be that industrious child who is 
always up and doing, as Shakespeare says.” 

“ ‘Shakespeare’!” 

“Well, somebody,—what’s the difference?” 

“You’ll get a high mark in literature, Di, if that’s 
your idea.” Hilary laughed as she hopped up brisk¬ 
ly. “But to answer your question, I’m worried. 
Any of you girls know what’s the matter with 
Lilian ?” 

“No, not I; why?” queried Eloise, while the 
others shook their heads to indicate their ignorance. 

“What do you mean, Hilary; is Lilian sick, or 
mad, or anything?” 

“Anything, probably.” 

“She isn’t sick,” said Betty. 

“I’m afraid she’s mad.” 

“At you? or more of us? or what?” 

Hilary smiled at the questions. “O, at me, I 


236 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


guess; but I can’t imagine what is the matter. She 
didn’t wait for me after English, as she usually 
does, gave me a cool nod this morning when I met 
her in the hall after breakfast, and pretended not to 
see me a little while ago when she was going down 
to the river with a bunch of girls. I had spoken 
yesterday of not having lessons this afternoon and 
we had planned to study together and then take a 
walk; so I feel sure something is wrong, or else 
she’s just sick of going around with me.” Hilary 
looked forlorn. 

“Cheer up, Hilary,” said Diane. “Sure you 
didn’t imagine it?” 

“O, Hilary isn’t a bit touchy, you know, Di,”— 
this from Hilary’s roommate, naturally an authority 
on that. 

“I know, Cathalina. You ask Lil, Betty.” 

“O, please don’t!” begged Hilary. “I count on 
you girls not to say anything. I don’t know myself 
whether to go and see Lilian or not; I’m not keen 
on being snubbed, you know. But if I’ve really done 
anything, I’ll apologize in a minute. I can’t under¬ 
stand.” 

“Wait a day or so,” counseled Eloise, “maybe 
she’ll come around all right and tell you herself.” 

But Lilian did not come near or give Hilary a 
chance to speak to her. Hilary felt much hurt, but 
like the conscientious little girl she was, thought 
she must be partly to blame. After the English 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


237 


class it was now Myrtle Wiseman who waited for 
Hilary. She was a gentle, pleasant-voiced girl, full 
of flattery for Hilary’s ability and with a certain 
attractiveness of her own. Cathalina could not bear 
her, but was too much of a lady to show it when 
Myrtle would come to their suite for help on a theme 
or to borrow something from Hilary. Hilary liked 
her well enough, except for having seen her cheat 
in examination, but for that reason preferred not to 
be intimate with her. However, having been • 
brought up to be helpful to everybody, she was kind 
and sunny with Myrtle. It never occurred that Lilian 
might be at all jealous, because Lilian was as gener¬ 
ous-hearted as Llilary herself. Hilary had never 
mentioned the cheating to Lilian, for she had some 
hesitation about prejudicing one girl against 
another. 

“I shan’t enjoy the Junior picnic a bit,” remarked 
Hilary one day to Cathalina, “with Lil acting this 
way.” 

“If you hate to go to her room to see her, why 
don’t you write her a note?” suggested sensible 
Cathalina, “and get the thing explained!” 

“She probably wouldn’t answer it, and anyway, 
Cathalina, I haven’t done a thing! I suppose I’m 
getting mad, too, but I don’t like to be treated that 
way without a hint why. If Lilian doesn’t want to 
have anything to do with me she needn’t!” 

Cathalina was surprised, for Hilary was such a 


233 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


sensible, kind girl under ordinary circumstances, 
but she did not know what a sore heart Lilian’s de¬ 
fection had given Hilary, who did not understand 
in the least. 

“Never mind, Hilary; the rest of us all love you 
to pieces. Don’t pay any attention to it,—though 
at this rate you’ll never fix it up! We’re going to 
have a beach party tonight right after dinner, and 
we shall see if Lilian will come. We must talk over 
the plans for the picnic tonight. Did you know that 
you are on the refreshment committee?” 

“No; going in the launch?” 

“Yes. O, you weren’t at the meeting, were you? 
We are going to the Island, going to cook fish or 
weenies or something,—we ought to make out the 
menu tonight. Diane said it would be more fun 
to have the whole crowd together to talk it over. We 
are just going a little way up the beach tonight, 
going to have fudge and toast marshmallow, wear 
our bathing suits and big cloaks, have our committee 
meeting first, swim next, and then have the candy.” 

“I wish that old study bell did not ring so early!” 

“By the way,” Cathalina pointed to the table, 
“help yourself. Wasn’t it nice of Phil to send 
candy just to his sister? He said he was sending 
the box to his next best girl. He calls Mother his 
‘best girl’.” 

“Aren’t they spuzzy! Thank you. It will spoil 
our ‘appertites’ for plain fudge, though. Whv, 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 239 

doesn’t Philip pay any attention to girls? He has 
such graceful manners with them that you’d think 
he’d had experience.” 

“That is good, Hilary; I’ll have to tell Phil that.” 

“Mercy, no! I know how boys are,—and he’d 
never speak to me again, perhaps.” 

“Yes, he would, but I won’t repeat it. Yes, Phil 
is not nearly as old as he seems, but he has had 
several half-way sweethearts, from Ann Maria to a 
nice girl that was visiting one of our friends not 
so very long ago. But Phil is too interested in boy 
affairs to be at all silly about girls. Boys have such 
good times, you know. He wrote all of one page!” 
Cathalina held out the manly scrawl for inspection. 
“Campbell wants to be remembered to you, Phil 
says, and he also sends his regards. Campbell says 
your are the ‘foxiest girl he knows’.” 

“I’m much obliged to Campbell. I suppose, at 
least, that he intends that as a compliment. He was 
real nice to me, and is such a ‘good looker’, as Gor¬ 
don says.” 

“Campbell is one of my nicest cousins.” 

Final plans for the picnic were made at the beach 
party. Lilian did not come down until late, but was 
as jolly as ever, avoiding any special conversation 
with Hilary. Everybody was happy at the pros¬ 
pect of the fun. “We want it to be a success,” said 
Eloise, anxiously. She was chairman of the gen¬ 
eral committee. 


240 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


“O, it can’t help it,”—this in Helen’s pretty 
voice. “Just to get out in the Greycliff would be 
enough.” 

The day of the picnic was warm and sunny, the 
lake all sparkles. Against the big ^;Cthe foot 
of the cliff the spray dashed and foamed, but there 
was only the fresh morning breeze, with no signs 
of storm. The gulls were as busy as ever. A king¬ 
fisher rattled his noisy way at the mouth of the river 
and a white-winged tern dived near as the little 
Greycliff, comfortably full, chugged its way through 
the waves and left behind its churning wake. 

Patricia West, the favorite young English teacher, 
was chaperone. Miss Randolph had suggested Dr. 
Carver, since that lady had not yet received the com¬ 
pliment of being asked to chaperone any of the pic¬ 
nics or parties. The committee did not utter a 
word, but glanced at each other in such dismay that 
Miss Randolph threw back her head and laughing¬ 
ly asked, “Well, whom do you want?” 

“Miss West!” said they all in concert. 

And Miss West it was. Cathalina had remained 
to whisper, “I’m sorry if you really wanted Dr. Car¬ 
ver to go. She would enjoy it.” 

“No, child; if the girls dislike her, as I fear they 
do, she would have a hard time on this trip and it 
would spoil their fun.” 

At the Island, half an hour’s ride away, the girls 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


241 


and their chaperone were unloaded, with all the pic¬ 
nic baskets and other impedimenta. The Greycliff 
then departed to go back to Greycliff dock, whence 
it was to take out several picnic parties that day to 
different oin* < on the lake shore. 

“Will TLw.w/ go after the crowds in the same 
order tonight?” Hilary asked Miss West. 

“Not quite. The Freshmen are to get in before 
dinner, the Sophomores later, and we may go home 
by moonlight.” 

“How fine! I wonder how it happened that there 
are so many picnic parties today.” 

“There are so few Saturdays left, you know. 
The Greycliff will be busy every Saturday that of¬ 
fers fine weather.” 

All the girls helped carry the lunch up the shore 
to a shady green spot on the bluffs, where some 
beautiful trees stretched protecting branches and 
there was a fine view of the mainland shore. Perry, 
a stout young fellow who was one of Mickey's chief 
assistants and who was to remain with the girls, 
toiled up the ascent with the heavier loads. 

“Out on that rock,” said Juliet, pointing, “is 
where we build our fires, Cathalina. Let’s gather 
our wood and stuff now and have it all ready. No 
green wood, girls!” she called as they scattered to 
find material for the fire. A little oven of stones had 
been built by former picnic parties and needed only 
a little repairing. Perry was fixing some fishing 


242 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


tackle and Diane called to him as they all started 
away, “If you hear us scream, come a-running to 
rescue us!” And grinning Perry promised that he 
would. “There will probably be nothing more dan¬ 
gerous that a garter snake,” laughed Juliet. 

The Island, as it was called, had only one stretch 
of beach, where the party had landed and where 
bathing or swimming was safe. About the rest of 
its circumference, steep cliffs rose from the water 
and were especially high where the island was sep¬ 
arated from the mainland by a narrow channel, 
through which the water rushed and boiled as the 
waves came in or retreated. There was one pretty 
descent where steps had been cut in the rock and led 
down to a broad platform and a tiny cave, called by 
the girls from Kentucky “Mammoth Cave,” because 
“it wasn’t.” 

Some of the girls had brought field glasses and 
found quiet spots where they could watch the birds, 
or strolled by a little trail through the trees and 
bushes in the center of the island. Others hunted 
wild flowers and several sketched a little, sketches 
intended more for their diaries and “stunt books” 
than for artistic purposes. Two or three lazily 
stretched out on blankets high upon the bluff, to 
read or watch the sky and water. 

“I am so glad that we were the earliest party 
to come out,” said Cathalina to Betty Barnes. “Isn’t 
it funny that I don’t want to sketch these days? I 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 243 

just want to tramp around and see things. Diane 
said that there are some eggs on those rocks over 
there. Let’s go and see. I wonder if the gulls 
and terns nest here.” 

“They say so,” answered Betty. “Come on, Hil¬ 
ary, have you seen the place where the gulls nest?” 

“No.” Hilary came running, her field glass in 
hand, the leather case bobbing about her shoulders. 
Myrtle came hurrying to catch up with Hilary. 
Through bushy tangles and over rocks the girls 
climbed to where several others, Lilian among them, 
were trying to see the eggs, placed with wisdom in 
the most inaccessible spot. Hilary braced herself 
behind a little tree and was focusing her glass when 
her foot slipped and she slid out over the cliff, los¬ 
ing her hold on the tree, but clutching at the roots 
and bushes. 

“Run, Juliet,—call Perry!” screamed Lilian, run¬ 
ning toward Hilary. But sturdy Pauline was first, 
and knelt, throwing one arm around the young tree 
and giving her other hand to the white-faced Hil¬ 
ary. “Hold on to me, Lil, and I’ll keep Hilary up!” 
Lilian, as white as Hilary, held Pauline, while the 
little tree creaked and swayed. 

Myrtle had thrown herself face down on the 
ground and was sobbing. 

“Hush this minute, Myrtle!” said Cathalina. 
“You’ll scare Hilary. We’re going to get you up 
all right, Hilary!” Delicate little Cathalina stretched 


244 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


herself full length by Pauline and reached both 
hands to Hilary’s. 

‘Til only pull you over,” whispered Hilary, her 
right hand grasped by the determined Pauline, and 
her left seeking a precarious hold on the frail sup¬ 
ports that were now almost torn away. 

“No, you won’t. Come, hold my feet, girls, and 
don’t let go and I’ll take Hilary’s other hand,—sit 
on me or anything!” 

The other girls who had been almost paralyzed 
by the sudden accident, followed Cathalina’s direc¬ 
tions and assured Hilary that when Cathalina and 
Pauline were tired they would take their places. 
There was no foothold for Hilary, for the cliff 
sloped back under its edge, and the girls were not 
quite strong enough to draw Hilary’s weight up 
nor dared to risk any experiments. But just as 
they thought their arms would leave their sockets 
and their heads were swimming with the effort, 
Perry came running and crashing through the 
bushes, bringing a life preserver, a rope and his own 
strong arms. In a jiffy Hilary was up and over 
the edge and in the arms of the girls, who laughed 
and cried together. 

“I say, Miss Hilary, you’re no featherweight! 
When I heard that screamin’, I grabbed the life pre¬ 
server and broke into a run, plumb sure one of y’ 
was drowndin’!” 

“Makes me think of between halves at a ball 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


245 


game,” cried Juliet who was rubbing Pauline’s arm. 
Hilary lay on the grass as far as possible from the 
edge of the cliff and rested with her head in Lilian’s 
lap. No explanations were necessary. Friendship 
was renewed without them. “I’m not strained as 
much as you’d think, girls,” said Hilary. “First, you 
see, I had hold of the tree, then as I slipped from 
that I held to the little things and got my elbows 
on the edge. But if Pauline had not gotten me just 
when she did,—my, I could hear that boiling surf 
down there and I tried not to imagine the rocks!” 
Cathalina declared that her arms were all right, and 
presently Hilary jumped up as lively as ever. “You 
girls and Perry saved me, so it has not spoiled our 
day. Come on; Pm hungry. I’m sorry I scared 
you all so.—O, my glass!” Hilary looked at the 
girls in dismay. Cathalina came up and patted Hil¬ 
ary’s cheek. “Don’t feel bad, Hilary, you can have 
mine! I heard the glass go smash down there—but 
let’s be glad it wasn’t you!” For a minute Hilary 
hesitated. That field glass was such a treasure. Then 
Hilary was herself again. “No use, spilled milk; 
Gordon would tell me to 'be a sport’; I’ll rent a glass 
till the bird study is over.” 

Only Perry, who followed the girls with sober 
face, realized fully what might have happened to 
turn the happy day into tragedy. 

A fire had been started on the bluff; something 
savory was simmering in pans and there was much 


246 *' CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


spreading of sandwiches and opening of pickle and 
olive jars. Cathalina had secured from an enter¬ 
prising lady of Greycliff Heights, home-made rolls, 
jelly and jam, doughnuts and potato chips. Vari¬ 
ous girls had brought their own contributions as 
well. “Wouldn’t our menu be a scream if it were 
printed?” said one. As usual there was more than 
enough, though it had been necessary to provide for 
two meals. “And we’ll be hungry, you know, 
girls,” had been said so much that it became a joke. 

After the first meal there were games, and wad¬ 
ing or swimming. The athletic Juliet and Pauline 
were learning to crochet and looked quite domestic 
as they bent above their work. Pauline learned a 
new stitch, but found that her arm was too lame 
to accomplish much. Swimming, alas, was out of 
the question for either her, Hilary or Cathalina. 
Even the intellectual Miss West was tatting, while 
everybody had raptures over Eloise’s beautiful em¬ 
broidery. Hilary and Lilian wandered off to a shady 
spot not far from the beach, where the water lapped 
quietly and cunning little sandpipers ran along the 
moist sands. Later, after an earnest and evidently 
satisfactory conversation, they again joined the main 
company, most of whom were tired of roaming 
about. 

As the moon came up, the breeze died away to a 
soft breath from the South and the lake was unu¬ 
sually calm. Sitting in groups, the girls told sto- 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


247 


ries or chatted until the launch arrived. By moon¬ 
light in the Greycliff the Greycliff songs or latest 
ragtimes were flung to the evening mists, till the 
Junior picnic was over and the big hall once more 
received its children. 

“How’s your arm, Polly?” asked Hilary, as in- 
kimono and slippers she appeared in Pauline’s door, 
while the penetrating odor of liniment made every¬ 
body on the floor think of athletics. 

“Fine,” replied Pauline; “I’ll be asleep before you 
get to your room.” 

“Goodnight, then,” and Hilary came over to give 
Pauline a good hug. “It’s terribly early, but I be¬ 
lieve I could sleep if the whole hall were prancing 
by!” With this, Hilary scampered home to find 
Cathalina already asleep and to slip into her own 
comfortable nest after sending up the grateful prayer 
which had been in her heart since morning. 

CHAPTER XXI. 

DREAMS AND FAREWELLS. 

With arms about each other’s waists, Cathalina 
Van Buskirk and Elizabeth Barnes were walking 
slowly in the winding path through Greycliff Wood. 
Cathalina’s sunny locks were close to Betty’s dark 
ones. 

“Just think!” Betty was saying, “I won’t see you 
for three months!” 



248 


CATHALINA AT GBEYCLIFF 


“I wish you could go home with me this summer. 
Can’t you ?” 

“Not possibly. Mother has not been well and I 
am needed at home. She has been terribly worried, 
too, over Aunt Dorothy’s family. Aunt Dorothy 
married a Canadian and they live up in Toronto,— 
but the two oldest boys are both fighting in France. 
Dick is wild to go too; he hears from the boys once 
in a while. Father doesn’t worry, but Mother is 
sure that we shall get into the war some time.” 

“How old is your brother?” 

“Dick is almost twenty.” 

They had reached the place where three paths di¬ 
verged, one to the left going deeper into the woods 
behind Greycliff, another leading down into the vine- 
clad ravine near the river, and a third winding to 
the right and leading out to the front of the grove, 
where a grassy bluff overlooked the beach. A cho¬ 
rus of gay calls came from the trees there. 

“Whoo-hoo, Betty, wasn’t that an easy quiz in 
French?” Eloise waved her handkerchief at Betty, 
who hurried up the path with Cathalina and dropped 
down by the other girls. “I haven’t a single exam¬ 
ination now, all through! It’s goodbye lessons for 
at least twelve weeks!” 

“O, Eloise!” responded Cathalina joyously, “I’m 
so glad, too, that the old exams are over,—yet I do 
hate to go and leave you girls.” 

“Well, we’re going too, not left behind.” 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 249 

“Yes, but you see I don’t know whether I’m com¬ 
ing back or not!” 

“You better had!” said Betty. 

“Aren’t you going to ask to come ?” Diane looked 
surprised. 

“Yes, of course.” 

“Well, that’s all that’s necessary, isn’t it?” 

“O, you don’t know my father and mother if they 
think something’s good for me!” Cathalina shook 
her head in some doubt. “But I’m sure they will 
admit that this plan to have me come here has 
turned out wonderfully! And / would not have 
missed it for anything! Just think of not knowing 
you girls!” Cathalina spoke earnestly and sincerely, 
but created a laugh and exclamations of “How aw¬ 
ful !” 

“Neither would I,” said Helen,—“but look at 
Hilary and Lilian together again!” she exclaimed, 
pointing to where the two girls in question were 
walking up from the beach and swinging hands in 
the best of spirits. 

“That isn’t Hilary, is it?” demurred Eloise, look¬ 
ing around a tree. 

“Yes,—see her red tie and hair ribbon?” 

“Other girls have red ties and hair ribbons.” 

“That may be, but I know Hilary’s middy and 
her walk,” Helen assured the girls. 

“They’ve made up since the picnic, or, real’y, 
that day,” said Cathalina. 


250 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


“Haven’t you noticed them together?’’ asked 
Betty. 

“What was the matter, then, if they don’t mind 
our knowing. Hilary has not happened to be in the 
suite and we did not say one word to Lilian about 
it from the first.” 

“Hilary said I might tell you girls, or of course 
I would not say anything. It was all that Myrtle 
Wiseman. I couldn’t have supposed any girl could, 
but I think she must have told lies!” Cathalina’s 
voice dropped to a whisper on the last words, and 
her blue eyes widened in her earnestness, while the 
girls laughed out. 

“You know,” she apologized, “in polite society 
one hardly charges people with such things. I can’t 
remember all about it, but you know how Myrtle 
tried to go around with Hilary all the time. It 
seems that she was jealous of Lilian, and Lil told 
Hilary afterwards that she guessed she was jealous 
of Myrtle or she wouldn’t have been so taken in. 
And Myrtle told a lot of things and twisted what 
Hilary really did say, and Lil believed it and—” 
Cathalina was forced to stop and take breath. 

“She told Lilian that she wouldn’t think a girl 
would ‘stick in where she wasn’t wanted,’ that it 
was perfectly plain that Hilary was just being polite 
to her and that Hilary had said she didn’t care to be 
so intimate with one girl. She did not say it in just 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


251 


that way, but in little mean hints and sly ways. 
What Hilary did say was in answer to some question 
of Myrtle’s about our corridor crowd—that she 
thought it nice to have ever so many friends and 
not only one or two. 

“There were one or two thoughtless things that 
Hilary did just then and they seemed to prove what 
Myrtle said true. So Lilian was nearly killed over 
it, she said and just couldn’t act decent. What was 
the use of asking Hilary, she said, because Hilary 
was too kind to tell her the truth! So she was hoping 
that Hilary would ask about it, and Hilary was hurt 
and wondering what was the matter. 

“I knew that Myrtle was deceitful, for we’ve all 
seen her use a pony in Latin and copy in algebra,— 
but this was a regular scheme! It was simply—” 

“Dee-spisable!’’ added Isabel, who had appeared 
from somewhere in time to hear Cathalina’s explan¬ 
ation. She curled down and put her head in Catha¬ 
lina’s lap. “ ‘Sweet Cathalina, dear Cathalina, My 
love for thee shall never, never do-yi!’ Listen, girls, 
did you ever hear my adaptation of that sweet little 
ditty just out (interrogation point drawn by Isabel’s 
finger in the air), entitled ‘Evaline’?—I mean ‘My 
Cathaline’: 

O, Cathaline (O, Cathaline), 

My Cathaline (My Cathaline), .... 

Sweeter to me than the honey to the bee, 


252 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


I love-a you, say you love-a me! 

Meet me in the shade of the old apple tree-ee, 
Kitty, Kathy Cothy, Cathali-ine!” 

“Silly,” said Cathalina, stroking Isabel's curls. 

Lilian and Hilary leaped up the steep way that 
was always the shortest route to the Hall. The 
girls kept still till they had topped the bank, and 
then greeted them with the old, “What’s the matter 
with Hilary?—She’s all right! Who’s all right?— 
Hilary!” Making like inquiry into Lilian’s condi¬ 
tion, they found her “all right”, too. As the friends 
were still sensitive about the recent misunderstand¬ 
ing, they only nodded and smiled and joined the 
circle. 

“Is this a final meeting of some sort?” asked 
Lilian. 

“Just a happen-so,” replied Eloise. “We really 
ought to have one more good old fudge or beach 
party, but nobody has time. I’ve begun packing. 
My, how do we get so much stuff? I don’t know 
what to do with it!” 

“I saw the old spring wagon come up a while ago 
with a load of empty boxes that I suppose some of 
the girls have ordered for their things.” 

“That makes me think,—I ordered one!” Isabel 
scrambled to her feet. “See you all tonight to say 
goodbye!” 

“We must go too, Diane,” said Helen, jumping 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


253 


up and pulling the lazy Diane, who complained that 
just when she got nicely settled Helen always wanted 
her to do something! 

‘Tve been packing all day, too, more or less/’ 
and Diane made a pitiful face as she pretended to be 
dragged along by the lively Helen. 

‘‘Yes, girls, said Helen, looking back, “her packing 
has consisted in pulling everything out of the bureau 
drawers ‘onto’ the floor, and if we don’t get to work 
we shan’t be able to get to bed tonight without 
crushing some art treasure or other under foot! 
She has her hand-painted china in a pasteboard box 
under her bed and I’ve noticed that it’s awful rickety 
lately. You all can’t imagine the time I have. Talk 
about ‘Northern enterprise’!” All this in Helen’s 
pretty drawl with the r’s omitted in Southern fash¬ 
ion. “Come on, Eloise, and help!” 

“All right,” and pretty Eloise hopped up too. 

At last, only Cathalina, Hilary, Betty and Lilian 
were left. The afternoon sun cast long shadows 
among the trees. Somewhere down in the ravine 
a wood thrush was singing his flute-like song. The 
girls listened and were silent. The waves softly 
foamed about the rocks afar off, and the little Grey- 
cliff was coming home with some last party of girls, 

“Haven’t we had a good year, girls? I’m so 
grateful to Aunt Hilary for sending me to this lovely 
place.” 

“I did not want to come at all,” said Cathalina, 


254 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 


“but it’s hard to imagine it now. O, I want to be 
and do so much some time!” 

“That is what Father and Mother said they hoped 
my school life would do for me,—make me want to 
‘be and do’,” said Betty. “And what wonderful 
talks Miss Randolph has given us in chapel!” 

“Yes,” said Lilian. “Do you remember her talk 
on T slept and dreamed that life was beauty,—I woke 
and found that life is duty’?—or something like 
that, I’m not very sure in quoting!” 

“I do believe it’s beauty,” Cathalina remarked 
thoughtfully, “but she did make it very clear that 
it couldn’t be beautiful if duty did not come first. 
I never had any plans before, except to study art 
and have a good time, but I almost want to go to 
college, now.” 

“I can,” said Hilary, happily, “if nothing hap¬ 
pens.” 

“I want to be an illustrator,” spoke Betty, “and 
maybe write my own things to illustrate, too. But 
don’t tell anybody else; it’s all a secret, because 
maybe I can’t do it.” 

“O, we’ll study together, Betty!” Cathalina 
clasped her hands over her knee. “You’ll draw and 
write and I’ll paint and 'sculp’. What do you want 
to do, Lilian?” 

“I want to sing!” cried Lilian, who had a sweet 
bird in her throat. “But Father says I must have a 
‘broad foundation’ first, and they never let me sing 


CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 255 

very much, only let me take lessons this year be¬ 
cause Professor Marchant was especially interested 
and promised to take such care of my infant voice! 
Maybe it won’t amount to anything- anyway, so 
I may take up domestic science next year. If music 
fails me, I may be able to cook for some nice man. 
That isn’t original, girls. I heard one of the Colle- 
giates say that the other day.” 

“Father says,” said Cathalina, “that to make a 
home is the most wonderful thing in the world, and 
since men can’t, women ought to be ‘proud of the 
distinction’. You ought to hear him and Aunt Kath¬ 
erine when she is on her ‘high horse’! She says that 
housekeeping takes more brains and patience than 
anything else, and the better trained your mind is 
the better you’ll do it.” 

“I believe she’s right,” Hilary added. “I know 
Mother puts all her brains and strength into being a 
minister’s wife, along with taking care of the kid¬ 
dies. I don’t think I shall ever marry.” At Hilary’s 
solemn air, the girls laughed merrily. 

“I know one young man,” Cathalina said teasing- 
ly, “who thinks Hilary the ‘foxiest girl’ he knows.” 

“Sh-sh! Cathalina Van Buskirk!” , 

“O, who? who, Cathalina?” asked Betty and 
Lilian. “Your brother?” 

“No, though Phil certainly does like old Hilary! 
Well, I won’t tease, Hilary. Ask her, girls.” But 
Hilary shook her head. 


256 


CATHALIYA AT GREYCLIFF 


“I’m always seeing myself,” continued Lilian, 
with an amused smile, ‘‘standing gracefully on a 
platform and all fluffy with laces and glittering with 
jewels and decorations. Then I sing, while every¬ 
body is breathless or in tears, you know, and when 
I stop, there is a thunder of applause. They’re alt 
wild about the ‘glorious creature’, and then I come 
out and bow, again and again, and carry off loads 
of roses, and get a thousand dollars a night!” 

“Greedy creature! Will you sing at our church 
for nothing?” 

“Yes, indeed, Hilary, out of friendship for you; 
and you’ll put in the Saturday paper that the famous 
prima donna is to sing at the morning service. Then 
I will say, “O, no, Dr. Lancaster, I could not ac¬ 
cept anything for the exquisite pleasure of singing 
to your congregation!” 

“Listen to Lil’s big words! How noble!” mur¬ 
mured Hilary. “Thanks.” 

“I’m not worrying,” said Betty, “about those far 
away days, but I do love to dream about what I 
want to do most; and don’t you remember?—Miss 
Randolph said that if we didn’t have dreams we 
might never try to make anything great come true.” 

“O, yes;” answered Cathalina, “but after all, 
I’m glad that we’re just girls now, and coming back, 
if nothing happens to prevent, to dear old 
Greycliff.” 


THE END. 







4 


















































































































